Amy Draiss
Thriving for decades with just a little attention, peony shrubs dazzle in mixed beds and borders. However, while growing peonies is a pleasure in its own right, selecting the right peony companion plants can add another dimension to your ornamental displays. There are several stunning peony companion plants that both complement and accentuate peony colors and textures. Here are some of the most striking peony plant companions for spectacular visual impact from late spring to early summer.
Whether you’re after chunky billowing panicle flower heads or delicate fluffy cones, you’ll delight at the shrubs in the Gardening Know How Shop.
Choosing the Best Companion Plants for Peonies
When determining the perfect companion plants for peonies, cultural conditions in your garden will play a key role. Plant species with similar requirements for light, water and soil fertility make the best planting options. You also need to consider plant size. Then, of course, you need to give attention to any themes or color schemes, whether you are looking for companions for pink peonies or red peony types. Choose complementing or contrasting tonal ideas, whether that’s the delicate indigo of a nearby drift of lavender, a pop of black flora, or a dazzling white border.
Plants and flowers that go with peonies fall into three categories: under, in-between, and over. Those grown under established shrubs will help to shade the soil, prevent weeds and conserve moisture. Larger specimens will play a more focal role within beds, adding color and height to the space. Here are some of the most dazzling.
1. Allium
Blooming simultaneously, several species of flowering alliums make exceptional peony plant companions. Most will begin blooming in early summer, attracting large numbers of pollinators. Complementary purple tones combine with peony plants for an attractive spring palette.
As stems rise above foliage, large varieties add much-needed dimension to mixed beds and borders, whether you are exploring a purple garden design or cottage garden theme. Especially attractive varieties you can plant amongst peonies include ‘Gladiator,’ ‘Purple Sensation’ and ‘Serendipity.’ Most alliums will be hardy in USDA zones 3-9.
2. Azalea
Azalea and peony shrubs are often planted together as they have similar cultural needs and make some of the best flowering bushes. Both thrive in rich, well-draining soil. Their combined bloom time adds further appeal to mixed beds, flowering in tandem or in sequence, depending upon variety. Azaleas, available in shades of pink or red, complement peonies well. This can be helpful in the creation of stunning monochromatic beds.
In determining what to plant with peonies, larger types make good companions, but dwarf varieties are best suited to combined displays. Most azalea bushes will be hardy in USDA zones 6-9. You can buy ‘Gibraltar’, ‘Karen’ and ‘Girards Fuchsia’ azaleas in the Gardening Know How Shop.
3. Foxglove
Similar in height and bloom time, biennial foxglove flowers can add dramatic interest to ornamental beds. Though all parts of the plant are highly toxic, pollinators delight in their bloom. You can expect mature plants to volunteer freely, dropping seed season after season.
If you’re mulling over what grows well with peonies, especially attractive varieties of foxglove include ‘Apricot Beauty,’ ‘Purple Carousel’ and ‘Snow Thimble.’ Foxglove plants are hardy to USDA zones 4-9.
4. Hosta
Many flowers that go with peonies, like hostas, are used for underplanting. This allows gardeners to add interest to beds at ground level, helping to suppress weeds. Glossy, patterned foliage furthers their appeal through summer, just as the plants come into bloom. Whether you go for a colorful hosta variety or one of the largest hostas, both peony and hosta together require minimal care.
Popular varieties of hosta for use with peonies include ‘American Sweetheart,’ ‘Blackjack’ and ‘Cup of Grace.’ Expect plants to behave as perennials throughout USDA zones 3-8. You can grow a ‘Frances Williams’ Hosta as part of the Plant by Number Neon Lime Garden Kit in the Gardening Know How Shop.
5. Hydrangea
If you’re wondering what to plant with peonies for summer color that lasts, hydrangea plants make good companions to peonies due to staggered bloom time. Just as the flowering period of one ends, the other begins.
This is especially true of H. macrophylla types, which begin blooming in summer. Adding other species to mixed beds can further extend bloom and overall appeal. While peonies can be used to underplant larger hydrangea varieties, dwarf types can be used in the creation of more densely presented and richly tinted displays.
Popular hydrangeas include ‘Blushing Bride,’ ‘Endless Revolution’ and ‘Wedding Gown.’ Hydrangea shrubs with white flowers, as well as blue and purple hydrangeas, make exciting modern contrasts. These shrubs are hardy in USDA zones 3-9. You can buy ‘Limelight Prime’ and ‘Vanilla Strawberry’ in the Gardening Know How Shop.
6. Larkspur
Many hardy annuals make good companion plants for peonies. Larkspur is a fantastic annual that blooms all summer and can be sown directly into prepared beds in early spring or fall. Tall flower spikes add dramatic height to beds and borders, helping to suppress early-season weeds in the process. Added to which, their voluminous blooms add elegance and character in purple, blue and indigo variations.
Experienced gardeners celebrate larkspur's unique ability to reseed, returning on a seasonal basis without attention from growers. ‘Misty Lavender,’ ‘Fancy Smokey Eyes’ and ‘Pink Queen’ are especially lovely varieties of larkspur for peony beds.
7. Lavender
Both lavender and peony plants are beloved for their rich, enchanting fragrance. Good drainage will be paramount to those hoping to grow lavender for the first time, with emphasis on the regulation of soil moisture. Like peonies, lavender will perform best where it is able to receive bright sun throughout the day.
Many lavender varieties work well with peonies, but one especially fragrant variety is ‘Munstead,’ available in the Gardening Know How Shop. Other intriguing aromatic varieties include ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Provence’ lavenders. Plants are most likely to perennialize in USDA zones 5-9.
8. Lilac
Sharing similar cultural needs, lilac and peony shrubs work well in mixed beds. Larger lilac varieties can add height in borders. As their bloom times often coincide, paired plantings allow for a profusion of color. Their combined fragrance adds further appeal, both in garden displays and in arrangements of cut flowers.
Popular varieties of lilac include ‘President Lincoln,’ ‘Declaration’ and ‘Sensation’ lilacs. Plants are hardy to USDA zones 3-8. Gorgeous purple ‘Bloomerang’ Lilac is available in the Gardening Know How Shop.
9. Rose
Roses are treasured for their timeless, dependable beauty. Specific romantic rose varieties work well planted amongst peonies, adding both color and fragrance to borders. Climbing, rambling and shrub types all play a role, often blooming in tandem with peony shrubs. Roses make some of the best pink flowers you can grow with peonies – but you can also try softer white contrast roses, soft apricot or burnt golds.
Common varieties of easy garden rose include ‘Earth Angel,’ ‘Claire Austin’ and ‘Queen of Sweden’. Most roses are hardy in USDA zones 5-8.
Browse shrub, hybrid and climbing roses to partner up with your peonies in the Gardening Know How Shop.
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