Paeonia lactiflora 'Gleam of Light'

RHS Plant Profile
peony 'Gleam of Light'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Paeonia lactiflora 'Gleam of Light'?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
peony 'Gleam of Light' RHS
Plants for pollinators
Herbaceous Perennial

A bushy perennial to 1m tall, with cup-shaped, fragrant pink flowers 20cm across in early summer, each with a mass of yellow staminodes in the centre

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or East–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H6

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Paeoniaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Potentially harmful
Pets (dogs, cats): Skin irritant. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Paeonia may be herbaceous perennials or deciduous sub-shrubs with large, divided leaves and showy large bowl-shaped flowers, usually in early summer
Name Status
Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Best in a deep, fertile, humus-rich soil that is moist but well-drained in a sheltered position in full sun or partial shade. May need support. See Peony cultivation: herbaceous for further information.

Propagation

Propagate by division in autumn or early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Remove dead flowers as they fade, then cut back plant after the foliage has died down in autumn

Pests

May be susceptible to leaf and bud eelworm and soil-dwelling swift moth larvae

Diseases

May be susceptible to a virus, honey fungus, Verticillium wilt, peony leaf blotch and peony wilt