OK, this tree peony is either getting moved or composted. It is huge, blocks my view of our pond from the kitchen window and is taking up way more space than it deserves given its paltry blooms. I waited for literally years for a bloom, this year I got 3 unremarkable single yellow blooms, and the plant is about 10' tall and wide. It's getting moved this fall. Whether it survives or not is inconsequential to me. Probably bad voodoo but there it is...

Wow, 10 ft tall! I have two tree peonies, both at least 20 years old, and one is 3 ft tall and the other about two ft. It must be our cold winters that keep them small. I have moved both once during that time to better locations and it did help a bit. They were even smaller before

I can't imagine trying to move a 10 ft tree peony. Good luck

I may have slightly overstated the size, but here it is with a yardstick to show how huge this beast is. It has to go.

Here is a photo of one of the three blooms I got this year. Any idea re ID?

Deb,
It looks like Paeonia lutea:

https://www.kelways.co.uk/prod...

They get bigger than common cultivars and hybrids. Paeonia lutea is a parent of some most beautiful tree peonies, such as High Noon and Souvenir de Maxime Cornu.

http://www.peonysoc.com/lutea%...

Yours has just started blooming and, from this point, the plant can only bloom more in years to come. Hope you will keep this beautiful peony in your garden.

I do plan to keep it, although it has to be moved. It is interfering with the view from my kitchen sink down to our farm pond. I'll try to get my sons to dig it up for me this fall. Thanks for the ID, that was where I was leaning from looking at some of the peony web sites.

Actually, this ludlowii species is not the parents of High Noon, or Souvenir de Maxime Cornu.

Another Lutea species, Paeonia Delavayi is the parents, and parents to Itoh peonies too. Both species have name related to "lutea", but they are different, only delavayi contributes to yellow tree peonies and Itoh peonies.
Ludlowii has not been proudced any good hybrid tree peonies yet.

Below is the introduction to Delavayi:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...

Jasmin said:Deb,
It looks like Paeonia lutea:

https://www.kelways.co.uk/prod...

They get bigger than common cultivars and hybrids. Paeonia lutea is a parent of some most beautiful tree peonies, such as High Noon and Souvenir de Maxime Cornu.

http://www.peonysoc.com/lutea%...

Yours has just started blooming and, from this point, the plant can only bloom more in years to come. Hope you will keep this beautiful peony in your garden.

Thank you for the correction Littlebin

Sorry for confusion, but what should I link my peony to? I don't care about the specific cultivar, this was a seedling from my neighbor, but I would like to be semi-accurate for my inventory list. From reading the above, there was mention of lutea, ludlowii, and delavagi? I am not at all knowledgeable about peonies and mainly just want to include this in my list so I can track care and performance. Thanks, peony people!

Yours is Paeonia ludlowii,
With two Synonyms: Paeonia lutea var. ludlowii, Paeonia delavayi ssp. ludlowii. So it actually can have all the words of lutea, ludowii and delavayi. But the significant and unique word is "Ludlowii".

Here is the Wikipedia link:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...
Sorry, the classification and names of paeonia species is actually very confusing.

Bonehead said:Sorry for confusion, but what should I link my peony to? I don't care about the specific cultivar, this was a seedling from my neighbor, but I would like to be semi-accurate for my inventory list. From reading the above, there was mention of lutea, ludlowii, and delavagi? I am not at all knowledgeable about peonies and mainly just want to include this in my list so I can track care and performance. Thanks, peony people!

Thanks, LB. I will add this plant to my list and post a couple photos to the generic entry so I remember who is who. I don't really need to know all the ins and outs of the naming nomenclature, just want to be semi-accurate with my personal inventory list. I have two sons and one is a landscape designer - I didn't realize how often we use botanical names until the other son made mention of our 'geek talk' which he basically tunes out.

So...here's the latest on my thug peony. I really need to move this, and am wondering when would be the best time. As I recall, it kind of goes dormant, but not all the way. Can I just wack this giant back to a reasonable size, dig it out, and replant it somewhere it can get a huge as it wants to be (which apparently it does want to do)? As you can see, it is now totally blocking the window to my dining room, and also blocks a kitchen window directly to the right. For perspective, that is a yardstick propped in front.

And, I don't think it gets that pretty fall color that regular peonies get, correct?

I'd think anytime in the next couple of months would be good to trim and move it, Deb. That is going to be one massive root! And I think you're correct about not changing color in the fall, I've never noticed any of mine changing.

I can't guarantee it but I think you can whack it off to stubs. I have done this (in the spring) with my other tree peony and it bounced right back. I would wait until it goes dormant (mine does go fully dormant) and move it then, or in early spring. The "hedge" of these at the Botanical Garden in Seattle was perhaps 10-12 feet high, if I recall correctly.
Wonderful drought-tolerant shrub, for the right place!