21 White Peony Varieties For Your Flower Garden
Are you looking for some white flowering peonies to plant this season but aren't sure where to start? There are many different peony varieties you can grow that have beautiful white blooms! Check out our favorite peonies with white flowers you can add to your flower garden this season!
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The white peony is one of the best choices you can make for your home or garden when you need a white flower to round out your color scheme. There are many types of peonies to choose from, which can provide you the flexibility to choose from different medium-size to large flowers with white blooms.
Various peonies have been popular in North America and Europe for many decades. In China and some other parts of Asia, some peony varieties have been treasured and used for medicinal purposes for centuries.
There are some other names you may run into when looking at peonies:
- Tree Peony
- Garden Peony
- Chinese Peony
- Intersectional Peony
- Itoh Peony
Most white peonies come in single blossom and double blossom forms, and some bloom profusely. Most varieties bloom in the spring or early summer. Pinning peonies down to specific regional origins is difficult because there are native species in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Almost all peonies grow in hardiness zones 3-8 with few exceptions. If taken care of properly, many peony varieties can live for decades or as long as a century. In fact, “taken care of properly” is a loose term as peonies can survive neglect, especially the tree peony.
Let’s not waste any more time. The topic today is the white peony. Let’s take a deeper look at our favorites!
‘Athena’
Scientific Name: Paeonia ‘Athena’
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Hybrid
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
The Athena is an early spring blooming perennial. The creamy white petals form a cup and have some raspberry flares on the inside. The final visual touch is a cluster of yellow stamens in the center that reach up with an anemone-like shape.
Athenas are low-maintenance plants with average water needs. The flowers bloom for about 7-10 days, and the plant foliage remains attractive until the first frost. Provide a bit of shelter from wind and consider staking as rain may make the flowers sag.
‘Bowl of Cream’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
When you need a bunch of white flowers to round out the color scheme in your garden, the award-winning Bowl of Cream is hard to beat. The creamy-white flowers have double blossoms that can reach up to 12 inches across. The rose-like folds almost completely hide the yellow stamens that taint the middle.
Note that these plants do not flower in their first year but the second. Plant in early fall, so they establish themselves before winter. They are also toxic to pets.
‘Bridal Shower’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
One of the nice things about looking at Peonies when you want white flowers is that there are so many to choose from that are nearly 100% white. The fragrant Bridal Shower has double blossoms that are all-white or may have a slight yellow hue toward the tips.
Plant in chalk, clay, loam, or sand to get good drainage. These peonies resist deer and rabbits and attract butterflies to further beautify the garden. They can withstand full sunlight exposure, but partial shade is okay too.
‘Bride’s Dream’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
The Bride’s Dream lives up to its name as a delicate flower with large white guard petals that form a bowl around a thicket of wispy yellow petaloids. The stalks are sturdy, so they hold up well in the wind. They like plenty of sunlight, but getting a little shade is fine as well.
These peonies have good staying power along borders, in beds, or in vases. They bloom in the spring and should have a nice fragrance that attracts butterflies while resisting deer and rabbits. Choose a well-draining soil that has loam, clay, sand, or chalk.
‘Charles White’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 2-9
Peonies mostly bloom in the spring. The Charles White comes in late spring and features double blossom, globular, incurved white petals with a tinge of yellow. There are also smaller creamy yellow inside petals.
These flowers are popular in the floral industry. Put the plants in a place where you plan to leave them long-term or permanently. Their lifespan can last up to seventy years! Move them in the fall if necessary.
‘Cheddar Charm’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
When you are looking for white peonies, you truly get what you ask for, but sometimes you might want at least one other color. The Cheddar Charm earns its name, not with a hint of yellow to go with the white but with a big clump of anemone-like golden central buds.
The color arrangement looks great in bouquets, and the height is right if you want to line borders or add some pop to the second row of a flower bed. The flowers are fragrant so expect butterflies as well.
‘Class Act’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
This plant earned the name Class Act by having perfectly formed petals with no irregularities. The color of the rounded petals with a high crown is soft cream. Ironically, the flower starts out beige with a red line running through the middle.
Many peonies do not require much care, but these rose-like beauties are different, especially for growers who intend to display or sell cuts. Through experience, you have to get the timing right, or the bulbs will not open.
‘Duchesse de Nemours’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: France
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
The Duchesse de Nemours cultivar first appeared over a century and a half ago and is one of the oldest peony cultivars in existence. They have a lovely scent to accompany the creamy white petals that form a crown-shaped blossom with a hint of yellow.
Cuts last over a week in a vase if a trained hand cuts the buds correctly. They have a resistance to deer and rabbits but do not let pets ingest the toxins.
‘Elsa Sass’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
When you are looking for late spring to early summer bloomers, consider the beautiful Elsa Sass. If you have ever seen a flower that you assumed was a rose but found out otherwise, you may have seen this flower. The velvety-white double blossoms curve inward and almost completely cover golden stamens.
This variety of peony is adaptable and looks great as a lone plant, along borders, in city gardens, flower beds, and much more. They do not like to compete with trees and shrubs, but they look great with roses and many other perennials.
‘Feng Dan Bai’
Scientific Name: Paeonia ostii
- Plant Type: Perennial Shrub
- Geographic Origin: China (Assumed due to being a Tree Peony)
- Plant Size: 4-5 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 4a-8b
How would you like to have the bragging rights that your flowers are some of the oldest cultivars from China, are beautiful, and have highly sought-after medicinal qualities? If the answer is yes, try to get your hands on the white and pink Feng Dan Bai.
These plants grow quickly and easily. You can plant them in a variety of different soils and climates without any problems. They flower early, so you can plant early.
‘Festiva Maxima’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: France
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
Most gardeners feel a sense of pride when they display flowers that have 150 years of history. Festiva Maxima is one such flower. They have double flowers and frilly petals that often look stained with drops of crimson.
Choose these peonies if you need late spring to early summer bloomers. Don’t go any further than partial shade as they need a good dose of sunlight. The more compact nature of this plant makes it a great option for pots or containers.
‘Gardenia’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
Apart from color, one of the tried and true ways to add variety to a garden is to have variable flower sizes. The Gardenia makes a great choice if you need a large flower measuring 8-10 inches. Pink peony buds open to reveal creamy white petals and golden stamens.
As you are choosing different flower varieties, choose Gardenias if you need late spring to early summer flowers. To support the large flowers, they have strong stems that resist wind and rain well.
‘Green Halo’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
The first time I saw this peony, I thought the flower was green as a result of the green glow. Upon closer inspection, I realized the color is white, but the outside green guard petals can play tricks on your eyes, hence the name “Halo.”
The Green Halo makes another great addition to your midseason (late spring to early summer) bloomers. They work particularly well as border plants.
‘Honey Gold’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
As you may have guessed from the name, the Honey Gold is another flower with white guard petals that protect a center full of yellow petaloids. Most people who like bicolor flowers enjoy how the guard petals form a cup around the center.
This peony is another midseason bloomer held up by strong stems to withstand windy and rainy days. Exercise caution in case your cat starts showing interest, as these plants are toxic to pets.
‘Krinkled White’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
Krinkled White peonies have several buds close to each other and blossom in a manner called profusion, meaning you get several flowers close together. The abundantly blooming white paper-like petals surround golden stamens.
The flowers are slightly fragrant and sit on flexible stems that usually do not require staking. These peonies make excellent cut flowers for vases. You should plant Krinkled Whites as midseason flowers for the end of Spring.
‘Miss America’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
The multiple award-winning Miss America has highly fragrant flowers that look like they come out of a snowy white fairytale land. The petals unfurl out of pink buds and reveal yellow stamens in the middle.
Use soils with materials like loam, sand, clay, or chalk to create good drainage. Miss Americas make great border flowers, but remember they are toxic to pets.
‘Moon over Barrington’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
The Moon over Barrington peony variety has large white rose-type flowers. The plant is quite sturdy to hold flowers of this size, and the fragrance is noticeable and pleasant.
Plan for the blossoms to arrive in early midseason. Make sure these plants are have a bright location with good airflow to stave off diseases. The soil should also drain well.
‘Shirley Temple’
Scientific Name: Paeonia lactiflora
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: Unknown Originator, lactiflora comes from central and eastern Asia
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
The Shirley Temple is an interesting plant with unknown origins and named after the child movie star. The large flowers measuring 8 inches start as a light rose color and fade to white later in life.
The buds are close together which creates profusion with blossoms emerging midseason. They have strong stems for large flowers, so wind and rain should not create problems.
‘White Emperor’
Scientific Name: Paeonia ‘White Emperor’
- Plant Type: Intersectional (Itoh) Hybrid Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 2-3 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 4-9
The “Itoh” part of the plant type is a nod to the Intersectional Hybrid’s Japanese creator. The White Emperor has white flowers with purple flares cupped around a yellow center.
These long-lived plants prefer bright areas, well-draining soil, and good airflow to create the conditions for good health. They also need a deep hole when planting of around 12 inches.
‘White Innocence’
Scientific Name: Paeonia ‘White Innocence’
- Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
- Geographic Origin: United States
- Plant Size: 3-5 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 2a-8b
White Innocence is a taller plant than most other peonies with a slightly different color scheme. The outer petals are white, and the centers contain yellow, but there are also shades of green.
With their height, you can display White Innocence flowers in tall vases or non-border areas of flower beds. Plant with other cool colors, and there is no need for stalking.
‘Zhong Chuan Huang’
Scientific Name: Paeonia × suffruticosa
- Plant Type: Woody Perennial
- Geographic Origin: China
- Plant Size: 4-6 ft
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 3-8
This unique peony, well known in China, still has spent a short amount of time in the U.S. The wavy white petals have dark maroon flares and greenish cream stigmas.
Since these are woody peonies, they can handle winter conditions. Owners have had no problems leaving them alone in the middle of a field during the cold months. These plants have good landscaping qualities.
Final Thoughts
Whether you want large peony flowers to dominate your garden, smaller ones, or rose imitators, there are enough white peonies to choose from that you will never walk away empty-handed. If you like to be a trendsetter, look at the little-known varieties that have been popular in Asia for centuries.
There are not many rules for planting peonies apart from using well-draining soil and not sticking the plants in the shade. The internet makes shopping for plants easier than ever, but local businesses are great resources too. Good luck!
