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Peonies are deservedly considered one of the most decorative flowers and are popular among gardeners. Their bright, large flower caps leave no one indifferent. Among the many species of this plant, the so-called “coral” group, to which the Coral Charm peony belongs, stands out.
Description of peony Coral Charm
The ancestor of “coral” peonies can be considered the breeder Arthur Sanders, who at the beginning of the last century was the first to obtain flowers of such unusual shades as salmon, orange-pink and coral. Later work in this direction was continued by another scientist, Sam Wissing. It was thanks to him that in the mid-60s of the last century the famous “coral” series of peonies was developed in America, to which Coral Charm belongs.
A brief description of the plant, its main parts and characteristics is presented in the table:
Parameter | Meaning |
Plant type | Perennial, herbaceous. |
Form | Compact bush with a rounded crown. Does not require supports. Grows moderately. The average height of the bush is 0.9-1.2 m. |
Escapes | Smooth, straight, green with a reddish tint, powerful. |
Leaves | Elongated-lanceolate, with a pointed end, trifoliate with a long petiole. The leaf blade is bright green, dense, with clearly visible veins, slightly drooping, bent like a boat. |
Root system | Powerful rhizome with several large tuberous roots and a small lobe. |
Flowers | Semi-double, cup-shaped, 15-20 cm in diameter. They consist of many flat, large petals curved inwards with an uneven edge, surrounding the central part. |
Flowering time | June. |
Lighting requirements | Loves well-lit areas, but without direct sunlight, because of which the bright petals quickly fade. Diffused lighting is ideal. In the shade it becomes very elongated and the stem loses its strength. |
The soil | Loose, breathable, fairly fertile, well-hydrated, slightly alkaline with a pH level of about 7.5. |
Peony Coral Charm, or, as flower growers sometimes call it, Coral Charm, has good frost resistance. In areas where the temperature in winter does not drop below -30°C, it can be left in the open ground and not even covered. Moreover, the plants do not freeze out even in winters with little snow. This makes it possible to grow peonies of this variety almost throughout the entire territory of the central part of Russia, as well as in the south of the Urals. In colder regions, leaving rhizomes in the ground over the winter is dangerous. They need to be dug up and stored in a special room for the winter.
Peony flowering features Coral Charm
Coral Charm is a variety with semi-double flowers. Their color at the beginning of flowering is dark pink, then they become coral, a white border appears at the edge, and at the end of their life the petals acquire a tangerine color.In the central part of the flower there are bright yellow stamens. The petals around are arranged in 8 rows. That is why the flower looks very lush. After opening, the diameter of its cap can reach 20-22 cm.
8 rows of petals give special splendor to the Coral Charm peony flower.
Application in design
Coral Charm peonies, like many other varieties of this plant, are usually given a central place in the garden as one of the most beautiful plants. Here are some possible options for using them in landscape design:
- Separate flower bed. Such an island of blooming peonies will look especially elegant against the backdrop of an emerald green, evenly trimmed lawn.
- Perimeter. Peony bushes often mark the border of a lawn.
- Mixborder. Peonies are planted in combination with other flowering plants.
- Flowerbeds of continuous flowering. In this case, the types of flowers are selected in such a way that the flowering of some smoothly passes from one group of plants to others. Peonies in this case are good because even after flowering, their lush greenery serves as an excellent background for other, lower flowering plants.
- Front flower bed. It is usually placed near the main entrance to the building. If size allows, the flowerbed can be made tiered. The Coral Charm peony bush is placed in the center, and smaller flowers of white, red or purple shades are planted around it.
Coral Charm peonies look good next to coniferous trees
Coral Charm peonies go well with pine needles, against which they can reveal all their beauty.Next to them you can plant bulbs, for example, tulips, as well as irises and phlox.
Roses that bloom a little later look great with Coral Charm peony. In this case, the peony seems to pass the baton to them, creating the effect of continuous flowering.
Coral Charm peonies are intended for growing in open ground. You can try to grow them in pots at home, but with a high degree of probability such an experiment will be unsuccessful. For growing as potted flowers, it is better to use other varieties of peonies, since among their many there are species specially bred for this purpose.
Reproduction methods
The easiest and most reliable way to propagate Coral Charm peonies is by dividing the rhizomes. This operation is performed at the end of summer or at the very beginning of autumn. Only mature bushes that are at least 7-8 years old can be divided. The rhizomes are completely dug out of the ground, washed with a stream of water and dried in air. Then, using a knife, they are divided into fragments that have independent roots and renewal buds. For disinfection, the sections are powdered with wood ash, and then parts of the rhizomes are planted in planting holes.
Before dividing the peony rhizomes, you need to rinse them well.
Planting herbaceous peony Coral Charm
When deciding to plant the Coral Charm peony, you need to be especially careful when choosing a location, since the flower can grow in one place for many years. The quality of flowers will be affected by both a lack of sunlight and its excess.In the shade, the shoots will stretch out and grow thin, because of this the bush will fall apart, and under the weight of massive flower caps it may even break. However, direct sunlight should also be avoided. Under the bright rays of the sun, a flower can fade literally within a day, the petals will become pale and dull, and the bush will lose its decorative effect. Therefore, the place for planting the Coral Charm peony should be illuminated by diffused sunlight, especially in the middle of the day.
If the soil at the selected location is not entirely suitable, then it is pre-prepared by adding humus, sand, and dolomite flour or lime is added to reduce acidity. Planting is carried out in early autumn, it is at this time that the Coral Charm peony bushes are divided for propagation. It is better to dig planting holes several weeks before the planting date. Since a drainage layer must be laid at the bottom, the depth of the hole must be at least 0.6 m.
The depth level of the seedling can be easily checked using a regular stick lying on the ground
A cutting or seedling from a container is carefully placed in the center of the hole and covered with prepared soil mixture, which includes soil removed from the hole, compost, as well as a small amount of superphosphate (200 g) and potassium sulfate (40 g).
Aftercare
Caring for Coral Charm peonies is not difficult. If there is a lack of atmospheric moisture, 1-2 buckets of rain or settled water are poured under each bush 3-4 times a month.
In the first year after planting, peonies are not fed. Starting from the 2nd year, fertilizers are applied in several stages:
Period | Type of fertilizer and dosage | Method of application |
Spring, before budding | Ammonium nitrate 15-20 g Superphosphate 20 g Potassium sulfate 20 g | Dilute in 10 liters of water, apply to the root zone |
The appearance of buds | Ammonium nitrate 30 g Superphosphate 35-400 g Potassium sulfate 40 g | -//- |
After flowering is complete | Any potash and phosphate fertilizers, 15-20 g of each component | -//- |
Autumn | Horse dung | Mulching the root zone |
During the flowering period, many gardeners use yeast feeding (10 g of dry yeast and 3 tablespoons of sugar per 10 liters of water). The resulting infusion is diluted with clean water 1:5 and watered over the root zone.
It is convenient to apply watering and fertilizing to the annular grooves made around the perimeter of the peony bush
The Coral Charm peony bush does not need to be formed, since it does not have side buds. Another care measure is loosening and mulching the root zone. This should be done regularly, especially when a crust forms on the surface of the soil. Ordinary garden soil is used as mulch, since the materials traditionally used for this (peat, pine litter, bark) acidify the soil, but peony does not need this.
Preparing for winter
Coral Charm peonies do not require any special preparation for cold weather, since in Central Russia they are able to winter without shelter. With the arrival of the first frost, all the stems are cut off almost at the root, leaving only small stumps.
Before wintering, all peony shoots are cut down to stumps.
They are covered on top with a layer of humus, compost or crushed horse manure, and with the arrival of winter they are simply covered with snow.
Pests and diseases
Peony Coral Charm is most often affected by various fungal diseases. They appear in the form of spots on the leaves, blackening and the appearance of rot on various parts of the plant.They can be caused by both violations in care and unfavorable weather conditions. Here are the most common diseases of the Coral Charm peony:
- Powdery mildew. It is detected by light gray rashes on the leaves. Subsequently, the affected areas quickly turn black and rot. When powdery mildew appears, infected shoots are cut out and the plants are treated with fungicides.
A grayish coating on the leaves is a sign of powdery mildew
- Gray rot. It can be diagnosed by brown spots at the base of the shoots and on small buds. To avoid further development of the disease, the affected shoots are cut out and burned, and the plant is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or the drug Fundazol.
Gray rot appears at the base of shoots
- Cladosporiosis. This disease can be recognized by dark, irregularly shaped spots, which in most cases appear only on the leaves. To combat cladosporiosis, preparations containing copper, for example, copper oxychloride, are used.
Dark spots of irregular shape on the leaves may indicate that the peony is affected by cladosporiosis.
Coral Charm peonies have few pests. The greatest danger to them comes from bronze beetles, which eat buds and young flowers, and sometimes leaves. Since these are quite large beetles, it is best to simply pick them up with your hands every morning, at which time they are least mobile.
Bronzeworts from peony flowers are easy to collect by hand, they do not bite
Another common pest of Coral Charm peonies is ants. These small insects are attracted to the sweet floral scent. You can get rid of ants using the drugs Muracid or Anteater.
Ants are not only capable of eating peony, but can also bring aphids to plants.
Conclusion
Peony Coral Charm can become a real decoration of the local area or garden. This plant is undemanding in care, adapted to adverse weather conditions and tolerates Russian winters well. Coral Charm peony flowers not only look beautiful, but also have a delicate aroma, filling the garden with a real fragrance during flowering.
