Tree peonies "almost indecently glamorous"

Tree peonies are able to turn heads with their striking appearance, it has been asserted.

Sector commentator Elspeth Thompson makes her comments in the online pages of the Telegraph, suggesting that they can stop people in their tracks.

"All peonies have an opulent, abundant beauty, but tree peonies are almost indecently glamorous," she states.

Ms Thompson adds that tree peonies do well in rich, well-drained soil that is neither prone to becoming waterlogged nor has a pH of above 5.5.

She also notes that the plants do best in a sunny spot and that planting depth is a factor to be taken into consideration.

Patience is virtue, Ms Thompson suggests, noting that it can take up to four years after planting for tree peonies to establish themselves and bloom for the first time.

The Royal Horticultural Society suggests that tree peonies are very hardy but that because they come into growth fairly early, they can sometimes be caught by frost.