In the lull between the burst of daffodils and magnolia blossoms and the flush of flowers to come from summer annuals, there are the tree peonies. Their large crepe-paper blooms unfurl about two weeks before the old-fashioned peonies. And unlike the older soft-stemmed peonies, tree peonies produce woody stems and the flowers do not attract ants. Because they are slow growing, tree peonies are sometimes grafted to the roots of old-fashioned peonies to provide a growth spurt. Occasionally, the roots will send up a shoot that produces the old-fashioned peony on the same plant, the bud of which can be seen here. Unless the stems are damaged, don’t bother pruning tree peonies. Doing so may remove next year’s flower buds. — Nina Koziol

Photos: Nina Koziol