Tree Peony

 The tree peony (paeonia suffruticosa) made it through another winter and is giving me a couple of gorgeous blooms. The flowers are at least 7" across.

This one is not quite open yet. I am in zone 4, which is pushing it for tree peonies,but this plant always has a good covering of snow in the winter. I think an ideal situation for a tree peony would be one that gets morning sun and dappled shade later in the day. The flowers don't like the hot sun. The plants need protection from the wind in the winter so some shrubs nearby to shelter it would help . Like any peony, they like  heavy fertile soil and average water. Unlike a herbaceous peony, this one has no scent and the flowers don't last very long.