Paeonia lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt'

Sarah Bernhardt Garden Peony

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is a classic herbaceous perennial peony with very large, fully double, soft rose-pink flowers. The blooms are fragrant, rounded, and ruffled, often with slightly lighter or silvery petal edges. It has glossy green divided foliage and an upright clumping habit. This old standard is especially popular as a cut flower, though the heavy double blooms often need support in the garden. The American Peony Society notes that it is often mixed up in commerce with similar cultivars.

Type: Herbaceous perennial peony
Mature Size: 30–36 in. wide × 30–36 in. tall
USDA Zones: 3a–8b
Form: Upright, bushy, clumping perennial; heavy flowers often need support
Light: Full sun to part shade; best flowering in full sun
Soil / Water: Fertile, rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil; avoid wet, poorly drained sites
Bloom Time / Length: Late season, usually May–June; about 7–10 days, depending on weather
Wildlife: Fragrant flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects; generally deer and rabbit resistant

Features & Landscape Uses:
Excellent for cutting gardens, cottage gardens, perennial borders, specimen planting, mass planting, and heirloom gardens. ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is valued for its large fragrant pink flowers and long history as one of the most widely grown peonies. Because the blooms are large and heavy, it is best planted where a peony ring or support cage can be used before stems elongate in spring.

Care:
Plant peony eyes about 1–2 inches below the soil surface; planting too deeply can reduce flowering. Provide good air circulation and water at the base when possible. Use a support ring early in spring before the stems flop. Remove spent blooms after flowering, leave foliage through summer to feed the roots, then cut stems to the ground after frost in fall and remove old foliage from the garden.+

Plant type

Perennial

Height

24-30"

Width

2-3'

Hardiness zones

3–8

Sunlight

Full Sun

Growth rate

Moderate

Bloom time

Early Summer, Late Spring

Flower color

Pink

Leaf color

Green

Fall color

Green

Attracts

Butterflies

Soil

Humus rich, Loamy well-drained, Moist well-drained

Landscape use

Accent Plant, Border, Container, Foundation, Mass Planting

Shape

Clump, Compact, Upright

Fragrant

Yes

Deer resistant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No