Content
Peony Coral is a hybrid obtained by American breeders. It has an unusual color of petals with a coral tint, for which it got its name. In addition to its beautiful appearance, the plant is resistant to adverse environmental conditions.
Features of coral peonies
Coral peonies have powerful, strong peduncles
Most gardens grow ordinary herbaceous or tree peonies with white, burgundy or pink flower colors, but there are unique hybrid varieties with coral shades of petals. Large buds of double, semi-double or single structure, bright at the beginning of flowering, but over time fade to apricot, cream and white tones. Coral peonies do not require garter; they grow well during the growing season, forming more than a dozen stems per year.Hybrid varieties are hardier than ordinary varieties, tolerate cold and heat, and are less susceptible to all kinds of diseases.
Coral peonies have thick lacy leaves and powerful stems. They combine the characteristic features of tree and herbaceous species. In autumn, all leaves and shoots are cut off. In areas with unfavorable and cool weather in summer, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment against fungal diseases.
How Coral peonies bloom
Most coral peonies have a not very pleasant faint aroma, so they are rarely cut into bouquets, being used more in garden decoration. For abundant and lush flowering, they require timely feeding and treatment against diseases.
Varieties of coral peonies
Coral peonies include hybrids obtained from crossing different species and varieties. The most popular varieties are those described below.
Coral Magic
Coral Magic is a herbaceous hybrid that was bred in 1998. It has semi-double bright coral flowers with a red-orange hue. The diameter of the corolla when fully expanded is about 16 cm. The height of the bush with strong stems reaches 80 cm. It is distinguished by early flowering and lush light green foliage. There is no aroma.
Coral Magic hybrid is resistant to fading in bright sun
Coral Beach
Coral Beach - lush blooms and delicate colors of flowers delight gardeners. This hybrid is an early-blooming semi-double peony with a cup-shaped corolla that changes color during flowering from coral pink to light apricot. The height of a strong bush is about 90 cm.The hybrid is drought-resistant and is not affected by gray mold.
Peony Coral Beach received two awards
Coral Fairy
Coral Fay is a semi-double hybrid obtained through selection in 1968. The peony is very bright and blooms earlier than other varieties. Glossy petals with a coral-pink tint have a light spot at the core and a bright red base. Flowers do not fade in the sun for a long time, maintaining the richness of color and attracting looks. Powerful flower stalks do not need a garter.
Dense bush with carved foliage grows up to 1 m
Coral Supreme
Coral Supreme - a hybrid that combines low maintenance and high decorative properties. The large double flowers that have bloomed have a rich pink-coral color in the first days. The height of the bush is from 90 to 110 cm.
Three days after the start of flowering, the peonies change, becoming noticeably lighter in the sun.
Topeka Coral
Topeka Coral is a beautiful hybrid from 1975, related to Glowing Raspberry Rose. It has terry red-pink corollas with a diameter of 17 cm, which are pleasantly and unobtrusively fragrant with musk. The bushes are strong and low – up to 70 cm.
Topeka Coral blooms early
Coral en Gold
Coral'n Gold is an unusually bright and attractive hybrid peony, which was bred in 1981. Large corollas of a coral-apricot hue have a cup-shaped, simple shape, in the center there are golden stamens resembling a fluffy ball. Strong stems about 90 cm high do not require support. Peonies do not smell and have an early flowering period.
Peony Coral`n Gold has the Award of Landscape Merit
Pink Hawaiian Coral
Pink Hawaiian Coral - obtained in 1981 from the foreign peony and milky-flowered Coral.Large semi-double flowers have a diameter of up to 20 cm, they exude a delicate sweetish aroma. The corollas are semi-double, the color of the petals is creamy yellow in the center and light pink on the outside; when fully bloomed, an apricot tint appears. The height of the strong stems is from 60 to 95 cm, the hybrid is frost-resistant and needs good care.
Early and abundant flowering begins in May
Coral Pink
Coral Pink is a hybrid variety obtained in 1937 from the milky-flowering peony Coral. Terry light pink-coral corollas have a diameter of 12 cm and have a medium-late flowering period. The plant has strong stems up to 70 cm high and light green leaves.
Flowers do not have a distinct aroma
Coral Altar
Coral Altar (Altar Shan Hu Tai) is a tall tree-like peony with large beautiful flowers. The height of the shoots can reach 1.5 m, the diameter of the buds is up to 20 cm. The leaves are large, bright green, giving the plant a decorative appearance even after flowering. The flowers are coral pink with jagged petals and have a light sweet aroma.
The Altar Shan Hu Tai variety is undemanding in care and shows resistance to diseases
Coral Queen
Coral Queen - a herbaceous peony with white and pink double flowers, was bred in 1937. The buds are dense, pink-shaped, the diameter of the corolla is about 15 cm. The flowering period is late, the aroma is pleasant, strongly pronounced. The height of the shoots reaches 80 cm.
Soft pink petals have lilac touches inside
Cameo Lalebai
Cameo Lullaby – beautiful buds open like tulips. The corollas have a simple shape; they consist of dense petals of a soft pink color, arranged in three rows. This interspecific hybrid was obtained in 2000.
The height of the Cameo Lalebai bush is about 65 cm, the flowering period is early
Cora Louis
Cora Luise - spreading bushes with dark green leaves and strong herbaceous shoots up to 50 cm high. Semi-double inflorescences have an original color - pale pink petals have a dark purple center. Flowering begins in late spring.
The variety Cora Luise belongs to the group of ito-peonies, is resistant to diseases and unpretentious
Coral Charm
Coral Charm - a hybrid was bred in 1964 from the foreign peony Sunshine. Semi-double corollas of coral color with a pink tint fade over time, acquiring a peach tone. The stems are strong, reach a height of 90 cm, the diameter of the flowers is about 18 cm, the flowering period is early.
The buds are not used for cutting because of the unpleasant aroma
Anne Berry Cousins
Ann Berry Cousins - semi-double peonies with mid-early flowering period. The diameter of the corolla with coral-pink petals is 16 cm, the height of dense shoots is up to 80 cm.
Hybrid Ann Berry Cousins was obtained in 1972
Coral Sunset
Coral Sunset - blooms very profusely, all the flowers open at once, their core is double, bright yellow. The corollas have a clear salmon color at the beginning of flowering, and then they begin to lighten. Towards the end, the peonies become almost white with a soft pink tint. In addition to beautiful flowering, the variety has other advantages - it reproduces well and does not require complex care.
Coral Sunset – a magnificent coral hybrid from 1981
Rules for planting and care
To make the flowerbed happy for a longer time, you can plant several coral-colored peonies with different flowering periods nearby. The further development of flowers depends on the correct location.Coral hybrids, unlike species, after 10 years of age begin to bloom worse. They grow quickly and require transplantation and division every 7-8 years.
Before planting, the divisions are inspected. They should not have a high stump where the stem was cut, or rotten or blackened areas. If available, the first ones are cut down to the bud, the rhizome is cleaned, if there are moldy and dark spots on it, treated with a fungicide solution, the sections are rubbed with ash and dried for about a day.
Further care after planting includes:
- watering;
- feeding;
- weeding;
- protection from diseases and pests.
To keep the flower bed clean of weeds, use mulch.
Recommended timing
It is best to plant the Coral peony in early autumn, when there is no longer bright sun, and there are many dormant buds on the rhizome of the flower. In spring, the plant's growing season begins very early, which slows down the successful growth of the root system.
Site selection and soil preparation
It is important to choose the right place for the Coral herbaceous peony, guided not only by personal taste, but also by the requirements of the plant. This flower should not be planted near large trees and aggressive perennials; its root system does not like competition. Choose a sunny or slightly shaded flower bed. In strong shade, the peony will grow poorly and will not bloom. Lowlands with stagnant moisture are not suitable for planting; the plant does not like close groundwater (up to 1 m from the surface).
A wide and shallow hole will help the Coral peony to place its roots in the upper part of the soil.This will make it easier to care for, because it makes it easier to water and fertilize the flower. Flowering will become more luxuriant and more flower buds will form. It is recommended to make a hole for planting a cutting with a depth of 40 cm and a diameter of 50 cm. Its size depends on the size of the Coral peony rhizome and the composition of the soil on the site.
For flowers to grow well, they need light and fertile soil, which is added to the planting hole. Garden chernozem is mixed with sand, resulting in a breathable soil mixture in which the roots develop well and do not turn black. The hole is prepared in advance so that the soil settles a little and the Coral peony does not go deep into the ground over time.
Before planting, the hole is well moistened if the weather is not rainy.
A nutrient substrate is placed at the bottom of the pit, containing all the elements necessary for the development of the seedling. It includes:
- compost or humus - up to 20% or about 2/3 of a bucket;
- wood ash – 200-300 g;
- complex mineral fertilizers, for example, “Fertika” – 100-120 g, or double superphosphate – 1 tbsp.;
- dolomite or limestone flour - 1 tbsp.
The bottom nutrient layer of the pit is sprinkled with a small amount of ordinary garden soil, which allows water and air to pass through well. There should be about 10-15 cm left to the upper border of the planting hole. A handful of sand is poured under the division itself; it will help prevent stagnation of water at the roots and rotting of the plant.
How to plant
The peony is placed in a hole so that the buds look vertically upward and the rhizome is in a horizontal position.
To prevent increased acidity of the soil and rotting of the root system, sprinkle the plot with wood ash and sand. Then fill the hole level with the soil.
The buds of the division are left 5 cm below the ground level; if planted differently, they will freeze in winter.
Planting the Coral peony high will result in weak annual flowering. The same result will be achieved by deepening the root too deep in the planting hole. At the end of the work, the plant is watered.
Features of cultivation
Coral peonies do not like abundant watering; this causes spots to appear on the roots and putrefactive processes begin. A little thirst is better for these plants than too much soil moisture. However, if there is not enough moisture, it is difficult to notice from the leaves. First of all, next year's buds suffer; they grow poorly. In dry weather, water the plants at least once a week.
Peony roots love air; when a crust forms on the surface of the soil, the plants stop growing. If the soil is too wet, the root system begins to rot. To keep it loose, it is covered with sawdust or other mulching material.
During flowering, peonies do not require care; they only need to be watered in dry weather. Coral hybrids do not need supports; large flowers hold well on powerful stems.
The bushes are given a neat appearance by cutting off the top part of the peduncles
Fertilize and mulch the soil. From the second ten days of August to mid-September, division of mature overgrown bushes is carried out. Before starting the procedure, cut off the stems and dig up the bush at some distance.
Carefully remove excess soil with your hands, and wash off the remaining soil with a stream of water. To make division easier, the roots are laid out in the air for several hours to dry, after which they become less fragile. Cut the plant into several sections with a clean knife and plant it in prepared planting holes.
The root fragments are not thrown away; they are buried 5 cm into the ground in a horizontal position around the main bush. New buds will grow on them, and in three years there will be full-fledged Coral peony bushes. In the spring they feed with nitrogen fertilizer, after flowering they use complex mineral preparations for flowering plants.
Preparing for winter
As long as the foliage of Coral peonies is green, it is not touched. In autumn, when the leaves begin to dry out, the stems are cut with pruning shears at a height of approximately 5 cm from the surface of the area, leaving small stumps. The soil in the flowerbed is treated with a solution of copper sulfate to prevent fungal infections.
All cut parts are removed from the site and burned so that they do not serve as a source of infection.
Diseases and pests
If the leaves of Coral peonies dry out and wither, they need help. Only a specialist can determine the exact cause; many fungal diseases have similar symptoms. Peonies are susceptible to fusarium and gray rot (botrytis). All diseases must be combated with the help of fungicides, such as Fundazol, Maxim, Fitosporin.
The preparations are diluted in water according to the instructions and watered all the peony bushes in the flowerbed. For healthy plants, this procedure will be a preventive measure. Dried, spotted leaves are cut off and burned. Peonies are treated with insecticides against harmful insects.
Conclusion
Peony Coral is gaining popularity due to the beauty of its flowering and resistance to disease.The plant does not require special care, but it needs to be replanted more often than ordinary peonies. To create an attractive flower bed, you can select varieties with different flowering periods.
Coral - charm - beautiful, but fades in the sun