Peony fragrance is a personal experience
I came across a past article from the American Peony Society the other day about fragrance.
And I couldn’t have agreed more. The main point of the article was that while there are peony varieties that have a reputation for being more scented than other, no two people on earth will have the same reaction to the scent of the same peony blossom. It’s a personal experience.
Fragrance is a quality in peonies just like color, form and height. Whether or not a peony has fragrance and whether or not it’s a pleasant fragrance is determined by it’s parent plants.
Many of the old fashioned (lactiflora) peonies that were bred in China and Europe centuries ago have excellent fragrance that will instantly bring you back to grandma’s garden.
A past article from the American peony society that I came across this past week said it very well.
As with all senses, each individual perceives fragrance differently. Our sense of smell diminishes as we mature. Fragrance of a particular variety may also vary with temperature, humidity, time of day and even growing conditions…
But as peony hybridizers have introduced more species of peony into breeding, the new combinations don’t always result in that classic peony scent.
Coral Charm stands out among the rest as having an unpleasant smell. It’s absolutely stunning to look at, but you won’t want to bend down and stick your nose in for a big whiff.
Polly Sharp is a favorite peony of mine with single form flowers that bloom a light pink marbled with white. It’s known for blooms that are so numerous they cover the plant. But it has little to no fragrance.
Does the fragrance matter to you?
If so, there is a tool on our website that allows you to filter out peonies that are not pleasantly fragrant. I encourage you to check it out!
You can use the same tool to shop by color, form, bloom week and other categories that you find most important in your blooms.
Many of the award winning peonies are also known for wonderful fragrance. Award winners are another category you can shop by online in our store.
And if you’re curious as to what the most fragrant peony is, you’ll definitely want to download our Top 10 Fragrant List!