How to Grow and Care for Renato Peony

The Renato Peony is an Itoh, or intersectional, variety that combines desirable traits from both its herbaceous and tree peony parents. This hybrid background gives it unique qualities, making it a reliable and visually striking addition to perennial gardens. Its performance and low-maintenance nature contribute to its broad appeal.

Renato Peony Characteristics

The Renato Peony is distinguished by its large, semi-double to double blossoms that can reach up to eight inches across. These flowers feature a deeply saturated magenta-red coloration, often with subtle yellow stamens visible at the center. The blooms last for up to three weeks and close each night, which helps protect the flower and extend its life. This variety has a light, pleasant fragrance.

As an Itoh peony, it inherits the strong, sturdy stems of a tree peony. This means the large, heavy flowers do not droop or flop over, even after heavy rain, eliminating the need for staking. A mature Renato Peony will form a lush, mounded plant reaching about three feet in height and spreading up to four feet wide, with dark green foliage that remains attractive until the first frost.

Planting and Care Guide

The ideal time to plant is in the fall, which allows the root system to establish before winter. When planting a bare-root specimen, position the root so that the growth buds, or “eyes,” are no more than one to two inches below the soil surface. Planting too deeply is a common reason for a peony’s failure to bloom.

These peonies require a location that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight per day for the most prolific flowering. The soil should be well-draining and rich with organic material, as peonies do not perform well in dense, waterlogged soil. Amending heavy clay or sandy soils with compost will improve its structure and nutrient content.

For the first year, consistent watering helps the plant establish its root system. Water deeply once or twice a week during dry periods. Established peonies are relatively drought-tolerant but will benefit from watering during prolonged dry spells. Fertilization should be minimal; an application of a low-nitrogen fertilizer in the early spring as shoots emerge is sufficient.

Seasonal Maintenance

After the blooms fade in late spring or early summer, deadhead by removing the spent flowers. This keeps the plant looking tidy and prevents it from expending energy on developing seed pods, redirecting that energy toward root and foliage growth.

In the fall, after the first hard frost causes the foliage to die back, cut the stems down to ground level. This cleanup prevents fungal diseases, such as peony wilt, from overwintering in the dead plant material. Removing the old foliage ensures a clean start for the new shoots that will emerge from the ground next season.