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Paeonia 'Sarah Bernhardt'
Common Name: Sarah Bernhardt Garden Peony
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is a classic herbaceous perennial peony with very large, fully double, soft rose-pink flowers. The blooms are fragrant, rounded, and ruffled, often with slightly lighter or silvery petal edges. It has glossy green divided foliage and an upright clumping habit. This old standard is especially popular as a cut flower, though the heavy double blooms often need support in the garden. The American Peony Society notes that it is commonly mixed up in commerce with similar cultivars. Type: Herbaceous perennial peony Mature Size: 30–36 in. wide × 30–36 in. tall USDA Zones: 3a–8b Form: Upright, bushy, clumping perennial; heavy flowers often need support Light: Full sun to part shade; best flowering in full sun Soil / Water: Fertile, rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil; avoid wet, poorly drained sites Bloom Time / Length: Late season peony, usually late spring to early summer; about 7–10 days, depending on weather Wildlife: Fragrant flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects; generally deer and rabbit resistant Features & Landscape Uses: Excellent for cutting gardens, cottage gardens, perennial borders, specimen planting, mass planting, and heirloom gardens. ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is valued for its large fragrant pink flowers and long history as one of the most widely grown peonies. Because the blooms are large and heavy, it is best planted where a peony ring or support cage can be used before stems elongate in spring. Care: Plant peony eyes about 1–2 inches below the soil surface; planting too deeply can reduce flowering. Provide good air circulation and water at the base when possible. Use a support ring early in spring before the stems flop. Remove spent blooms after flowering, leave foliage through summer to feed the roots, then cut stems to the ground after frost in fall and remove old foliage from the garden.
| Plant Type: | Perennial |
| Width: | 30-36" |
| Height: | 30-36" |
| Fragrant: | Yes |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Zone: | 3 - 9 |
| Deer Resistant: | Yes |
| Salt Tolerant: | No |
| Drought Tolerant: | No |
| Attract: | Butterflies, Bees |
| Exposure: | Full Sun |
| Bloom Time: | Late Spring, Early Summer |
| Landscape/Use: | Mass Planting, Accent Plant |
| Shape: | Clump, Upright, Compact |
| Soil Type | Rich, Moist well-drained |
| Flower Color: | Pink |
| Leaf Color: | Green |
| Fall Color: | Dark Green, Bronze, Green |
