Bartzella has yellow flowers with a red flare at the center and returns from bare ground each spring. This Itoh hybrid has made its way into yards from Alaska’s Interior to North Carolina. Where it grows, when it blooms and how to look after it through the year all come down to a few clear habits.
What Is the Bartzella Peony?
Bartzella is an Itoh hybrid, a cross between a common garden peony and a tree peony. The flowers are yellow with reddish centers, semi-double to double, and fragrant.
Despite the tree peony parent, the plant dies back to the ground each winter and sends up new shoots in spring. It does not build a woody framework like a tree peony.
Itoh peonies are known for large flowers and interesting foliage. Flowering falls in midseason.
From the almanac
Peonies in your state
The dates on this page depend on where you live. Your state's page carries its frost dates, its USDA zones and the year laid out month by month.
Northeast
Southeast
- Alabama
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- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
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- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Midwest
Southwest
West
Pacific Northwest
Canada
Where Does the Bartzella Peony Grow Best?
Bartzella has been grown in cold-winter and mild-winter states alike, and the details change with the region. The state selector just below this section leads to the page for your own state.
- Interior Alaska: Around Fairbanks it is hardy at warmer sites, and it needs snow cover over the winter to come back.
- North Carolina: Bartzella is a good performer in the state.
- North Dakota: Itoh peonies are grown here alongside common peonies, which shows that a prairie winter does not rule them out.
- Its flowers may be semi-double or double, with yellow petals, red markings at the center, and fragrance.
In very mild climates, ask a local garden center which Itoh types do well.
How to Care for the Bartzella Peony Through the Year
Spring
Bartzella comes up from the ground like a common peony, not from old wood. New shoots push up in spring, and the foliage is part of the show, so give it room where the leaves can be seen.
Bloom
Bloom arrives in midseason, and the flowers are fragrant. Plant it near a path or a patio where you pass often.
Bartzella is known for its large flowers.
Summer
The foliage remains interesting after flowering.
Fall Cutback
Bartzella dies back each year and leaves no woody structure above ground.
Winter
At warmer sites in Interior Alaska, Bartzella needs snow cover through winter.
The plant leaves nothing visible above ground until spring.
Bartzella Peony Diseases and Weak Points
In Interior Alaska, winter snow cover is important for Bartzella. At warmer sites in Interior Alaska, Bartzella is hardy and needs snow cover.
Cut flowers are another limit. The stems are short for cutting.
Ask your local extension office or garden center before spraying anything.
Is the Bartzella Peony Right for Your Yard?
Bartzella suits a bed where you want a large, fragrant yellow flower and interesting foliage. It is a poor fit if you want long stems for cutting.
- At warmer sites in Interior Alaska, plant it where snow will cover it in winter, then wait for the midseason flowers.
- In North Carolina, Bartzella is a good performer; ask a local nursery about timing in your area.
Common Questions
Can You Cut Bartzella Peonies for a Vase?
You can, but the stems are short, so plan on a low bowl or a small vase. The semi-double to double flowers and their fragrance still make the effort worthwhile.
Is Bartzella a Tree Peony?
No. It is an Itoh hybrid with a tree peony as one parent, yet it behaves like an herbaceous peony and dies back to the ground every winter.
What Does a Bartzella Flower Look Like?
The flower is yellow, with a red flare or reddish center. It may be semi-double or fully double, which is why plants in different gardens can look a little different.
Sources : americanpeonysociety.org