{"product_id":"scarlet-heaven-itoh-peony","title":"Scarlet Heaven Itoh Peony","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"pd-title-head\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePaeonia\u003c\/em\u003e 'Scarlet Heaven'\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Perennial borders, specimen planting near entries and seating, cut-flower gardens, mass plantings for early summer color.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e True scarlet single flowers with a gold center, stems strong enough to stand through rain without staking, and deeply cut foliage that stays clean and upright long after ordinary peonies have flopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4–9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full Sun, Partial Sun\/Shade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardy Perennial\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mounding, Rounded — sturdy self-supporting stems from a woody crown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Red\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2–3 feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2–3 feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Late spring to early summer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA peony that does not need a hoop, a cage, or an apology after a thunderstorm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Scarlet Heaven' is an Itoh peony — a cross between a herbaceous peony and a tree peony — and it inherited the best of both. From the tree peony side come the strong woody-based stems and the large, deeply divided leaves. From the herbaceous side comes the habit of dying back cleanly to the ground each winter and returning reliably in spring. The result is a plant that carries full-sized flowers on stems that actually hold them up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe flower is a clean, saturated scarlet-red, single to semi-double, with a wide open face and a boss of golden stamens at the center. It is a harder, truer red than the wine and magenta tones most peonies fall into. Blooms are six inches across and come over a two to three week window in late spring, and because the plant produces side buds as well as terminal ones, the display extends past what a single flush would give.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe foliage is the underrated part. It emerges bronze-red, matures to a deep green, and stays presentable through the whole season — no midsummer collapse, no powdery mess, no bare gap in the border by August. In practice you are getting a small shrub-like mound that happens to flower spectacularly for three weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eItoh peonies are slow to bulk up and correspondingly long-lived. A well-sited plant is a thirty-year proposition that improves every year and never needs dividing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScarlet Heaven Itoh Peony Care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlant in full sun for the heaviest bloom. Six hours is the working minimum; in the warmer end of the range, light afternoon shade extends how long each flower holds its color without materially reducing bud count.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoil should be deep, fertile, and well-drained. Peonies are long-term plants, so it is worth preparing a wide hole with compost rather than a narrow one. Planting depth is the detail that matters most: set the crown so the growth buds sit no more than one to two inches below the soil surface. Planted too deep, a peony will grow foliage for years and never flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWater regularly through the first two seasons. Established plants are fairly self-sufficient and need deep watering only during extended drought. Avoid keeping the crown constantly wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeed lightly in early spring as growth emerges, using a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/slow-release-fertilizer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eslow release fertilizer\u003c\/a\u003e worked into the surface around the plant. Heavy nitrogen produces leaves at the expense of buds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMaintenance is minimal. Deadhead spent flowers to keep the plant tidy. Cut the stems back to two to three inches above the ground after the first hard frost — Itoh peonies die back like a herbaceous peony, not like a tree peony, and the woody-looking stems should not be left standing. Do not divide unless you have a reason to; these resent disturbance and take years to recover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Size is the Scarlet Heaven Itoh Peony for Sale Online?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur Scarlet Heaven Itoh Peony ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Large Does Scarlet Heaven Itoh Peony Grow?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExpect roughly 2 to 3 feet tall and equally wide, forming a rounded mound that widens gradually over many years. Space 3 feet on center. Young plants take three seasons to reach full flowering size, and the plant improves noticeably each year after that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is an Itoh peony?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is an intersectional hybrid — a cross between a herbaceous peony and a tree peony, first achieved by Japanese breeder Toichi Itoh in the 1940s. The group is named for him. Itoh peonies combine tree peony flower size and stem strength with the herbaceous habit of dying back to the ground each winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are some common names for this plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is sold as Scarlet Heaven Itoh Peony, and the group is variously called Itoh peony or intersectional peony. Both refer to the same type of cross.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo the stems need staking?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNo, and this is the main practical reason to choose an Itoh over a traditional herbaceous peony. The woody-based stems hold six-inch flowers upright through wind and rain without support. Hoops and rings are unnecessary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo deer eat peonies?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eVery seldom. Peony foliage contains compounds deer find unpalatable, and they are one of the more dependable choices in a browsed garden. Other plants that hold up under the same conditions are grouped in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/deer-resistant-perennials-grasses\"\u003eDeer-Resistant Perennials and Grasses\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does it take to bloom well?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExpect a few flowers the first spring, a noticeably better display the second, and full performance from the third year onward. Itoh peonies establish slowly and then hold that performance for decades without needing division. More long-lived border plants are in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/perennials\"\u003ePerennials\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Almanac Planting Co","offers":[{"title":"3 Gallon \/ Fall '26 Pre-Order","offer_id":47527169327266,"sku":"PN-SHPEO-3-1yr","price":89.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9374\/6850\/files\/Image_Coming_Soon.png?v=1786804456","url":"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/scarlet-heaven-itoh-peony","provider":"Almanac Planting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}