Paeonia lactiflora 'Shirley Temple'

Double Pink Peony

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Shirley Temple’ is a herbaceous perennial peony with large, fragrant, fully double flowers that open soft blush pink and mature to creamy white. The blooms are rounded, ruffled, and exceptionally large, often reaching about 8 inches across. It forms an upright clump of glossy green divided foliage and is valued for its early bloom time, firm stems, and excellent cut-flower quality. The American Peony Society lists it as a double blush peony that flowers before ‘Festiva Maxima’ and changes from light rose to white.

Type: Herbaceous perennial peony
Mature Size: 30–36 in. wide × 30–36 in. tall
USDA Zones: 3a–8b
Form: Upright, bushy, clumping perennial; large double blooms may need support
Light: Full sun to part shade; best flowering in full sun
Soil / Water: Rich, fertile, evenly moist, well-drained soil; avoid wet, poorly drained sites
Bloom Time / Length: Late spring to early summer; early-season peony, usually about 7–10 days
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 mixed sunny beds. ‘Shirley Temple’ is especially valued for its soft blush-to-white color change, large fragrant double flowers, and sturdy stems. It pairs well with iris, catmint, salvia, allium, nepeta, and other spring to early-summer perennials.

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 peony ring or support cage early in spring because the large double flowers can bend after rain. 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

Slow

Bloom time

Early Summer, Late Spring

Flower color

White

Leaf color

Green

Fall color

Green

Attracts

Bees, Butterflies

Soil

Moist well-drained, Rich

Landscape use

Accent Plant, Border, Container, Mass Planting

Shape

Clump, Compact, Upright

Fragrant

Yes

Deer resistant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No