Chinese peony vs Itoh peony

Chinese peony and Itoh peony are often considered for the same spot in the garden (flowers, specimen). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Chinese peony

Paeonia lactiflora 90 cm × 90 cm after 10 years

A long-lived, bushy perennial with large, scented flowers in late spring and foliage that makes a good backdrop in the border until autumn. Plant it…

Perennial

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 280

Itoh peony

Paeonia Itoh Group 80 cm × 90 cm after 10 years

A group of hybrids between herbaceous and tree peonies ('Bartzella', 'Cora Louise', 'Julia Rose', 'Hillary', 'Kopper Kettle'): it dies back to the…

Perennial

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 560

Key differences

Chinese peony grows larger: 90 cm × 90 cm after ten years, against 80 cm × 90 cm for Itoh peony.
Chinese peony also takes heavy clay, Itoh peony needs a loose, free-draining soil.
Chinese peony is cheaper: about CZK 370 at the size usually planted, against about CZK 560 for Itoh peony.

Which one to choose?

Chinese peony is the better choice if the soil is heavy clay or price matters.

Watch out for

Chinese peony

Peony wilt (botrytis) browns the shoots and buds in wet springs, so cut down and remove the foliage in autumn. Planted too deep, in too much shade or recently moved, it can refuse to flower for years. Double flowers bend to the ground after rain, and powdery mildew is common on the leaves in autumn.

Itoh peony

In cool, wet springs botrytis (grey mould) can attack it: shoots and buds turn brown and die. For that reason cut down and remove all foliage from the garden in autumn and plant it where air moves freely. In heavy, waterlogged soil the roots and crown rot, and overwatering is the most common cause of failure. If it does not flower it is usually planted too deep, in too much shade, or still young; late spring frost can also take the buds. Ants crawling on the buds are harmless.

The data side by side

Feature	Chinese peony	Itoh peony
Group	Perennial	Perennial
Size after 10 years	90 cm × 90 cm	80 cm × 90 cm
Ultimate size	0.5–1 m × 0.5–1 m	0.6–1 m × 0.6–1 m
Growth rate	no data	Medium (uncertain)
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay	Average garden soil
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	Medium (uncertain)	Medium (uncertain)
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	May–June, white, pink, red	May–June, yellow, pink, white, purple, red
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium	Medium
Maintenance	Low	Low
Planting distance	90 cm	90 cm
For dogs	Toxic	Toxic
For cats	Toxic	Toxic
For children	Mildly toxic (uncertain)	Mildly toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	approx. CZK 370	approx. CZK 560

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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