Care for sarah: a concise orientation before we get practical.
Care for sarah: Quick notes
For fluffy pink blooms in herbaceous perennial form, the ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peony is perfect. This fragrant variety grows to a short shrub each year, and when late spring rolls around, it blooms with multilayered flowers that are unforgettable to anyone who sees them.
But sometimes it can be difficult to get peonies to bloom year after year. The answer to how to do that is consistent care. If you’re in a region where these peonies can be perennial, winter care is among the more important annual tasks. In hot areas, summer care is.
Aside from the consistency needed to grow these stunning blooms, they’re not hard to cultivate. Give them a try this year if you haven’t yet, especially if you love cut flowers. If you’re unsure where to begin, let’s detail that now. Follow along to learn to grow ‘Sarah Bernhardt’.
‘Sarah Bernhardt’ Peony Overview
Plant Type
Herbaceous perennial
Exposure
Full sun to partial shade
Watering Requirements
Average
Pests & Diseases
Mites, aphids, blight, powdery mildew
Soil Type
Clay, chalk, loam, sand
What Is It?
The ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peony is a variety of Paeonia lactiflora, commonly referred to as Chinese peonies, or common garden peonies. It has its origins in 1906, when it was developed by French flower breeder Victor Lemoine. He named the peony after the famous actor, Sarah Bernhardt. It won the Royal Horticultural Society’s 1993 Award of Garden Merit.
Characteristics
The ruffled blooms appear in late spring.
This is a double-flowered peony with cup-shaped, ruffly pink petals that sometimes are more white with pink streaks. The plants themselves are shrubby, reaching no more than three feet tall. Their leaves are compound and grow up to one foot across.
They bloom in late spring and continue to bloom through summer. These are not frost-tolerant plants, and they typically turn a rusty color before dying to the ground once frost arrives. The soft stems that support each flower are excellent for cutting.
Native Area
Peonies are native to Central Asia.
Paeonia lactiflora plants hail from Central Asia, from eastern Siberia to Mongolia to eastern Tibet to northern China. They are widely grown worldwide for their fragrance and diverse forms. The variety, ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, originated in the gardens where Victor Lemoine worked.
Planting
Choose a spot with well-draining soil.
You don’t have to plant common peonies deeply to help them grow. They prefer shallow conditions in the ground or in raised beds. Choose a time in spring or fall to plant them. Note that fall is a better option as the plants will have time to establish before their next blooming period.
Transplanting
Soak bare roots in water before planting.
You’ll find the ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peony as a bare root plant or growing in nursery pots. For bare-root plants, you only need to plant them a couple of inches deep in the ground. You won’t find seeds of these at stores because they won’t grow true to type. Soak your bare roots for 12 to 24 hours before planting. Then bury the roots just a couple of inches below the soil surface.
Container-grown plants are easy to position in the garden, but they tend to be subject to root disturbance, so take care when planting them. Look for a full sun area with well-draining soil, or a larger container filled with a high-quality potting soil. Then dig a hole within your chosen spot, the same size as the nursery pot. Remove the plant from its container.
Then lower the plant into the hole, and fill it in with soil. Press the plant into the ground lightly, and top it off with some well-rotted compost. No matter whether you’re transplanting bare-root or container plants, including a stake, peony cage, or tomato cage is a good idea. This keeps the flowers upright during their blooming period.
How to Grow
Garden peonies are easy to grow, and they tend to tolerate many conditions. As long as you give these large blooms a little extra care, you’ll be able to grow them year after year.
Light
Most peonies grow best in full sun.
Peonies need full sun for at least six to eight hours per day to produce their floriferous display. In warm climates, afternoon shade will keep them happy and prevent damage to their sensitive leaves. In cooler areas, the more sun, the better. If you don’t have a way to shelter them from intense sunlight, provide a shade canopy.
Water
One inch of water per week is recommended.
When you water your ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peony, you should plan to water slowly and deeply. Rainfall is the best irrigation for these plants. But drip line or soaker hoses are a good second option. Only supplement with these if the weather is dry.
You want moisture to reach at least a foot below the soil line to support budding and blooming. One inch of water per week is the standard.
Soil
Clay soil should be amended before planting.
These peonies are adaptable to multiple soil types, as long as they drain well. Chalk, sand, loam, and clay are all viable options. Amend heavy soils with compost and agricultural grit or sand. Add enough compost in sandier soils to support the vigorous growth of these plants.
Temperature and Humidity
High temperatures limit blooming potential.
Peonies prefer a temperate range, but they can handle extremes. At their peak, temperatures of 65 to 80°F (18-27°C) are ideal. They are root hardy down to -13°F (-25°C). Because this is a late-season bloomer, those in the South will not see as much flowering, as heat generally hampers the blooms.
This is why it’s so important to shelter ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peonies in warm areas. Ensure yours is in afternoon shade if you live in a hot region. Humidity can also be a problem, as foliage diseases tend to be some of the most common issues with them. Prune them for airflow to prevent these in humid areas.
Fertilizing
Use compost to amend the soil each spring.
When new shoots start to emerge in spring, this is your sign that it’s time to fertilize. Water your plant, and then apply a balanced organic fertilizer. Keep it away from the crown of the plant to prevent burns. Water it in. You can also dress your peonies with well-rotted compost in spring and fall to give them a gentle, bioavailable boost.
Maintenance
Cut the flowers before they open for arrangements to ensure they last longer.
You may need to adjust your supports for the dense blooms produced by ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ throughout the season. This is especially true if you’re using a peony cage. Harvest blooms when they’re at the “marshmallow” stage, or when they’re unopened, yet soft. This ensures they reach maximum vase life at over a week.
Deadhead blooms throughout the season if you’re not cutting them for arrangements. When the plant’s foliage dies after the first frost, cut it to the ground, and mulch to protect the roots in winter.
Propagation
Seed propagation is difficult as seeds do not breed true to type. Cutting propagation is also dicey. The only way to propagate the ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peony is to divide it, though this shouldn’t even be an annual task.
Division
Divide your peonies in early fall.
The best time to divide your peonies is in early fall, when the heat of summer has passed, but the cold of winter has not yet arrived. Gently and carefully dig up your peonies, and dust off the soil. For the best blooms in the following spring, look for sections with at least three to five eyes and use a sterile garden knife or hori hori to cut them into sections.
Then transplant them in appropriate areas or containers. Try to do this a few weeks before your first frost to give them time to establish themselves.
Common Problems
The most common problems faced by peony growers have their origins in improper cultivation. If you plant them too deeply, they won’t bloom as well. If you give them too much shade or too much heat, the same goes. Pests and diseases are not as much of an issue, though. But here are a few to look out for.
Pests
Look out for spider mites and aphids on stems.
While ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is mostly pest-free, aphids and spider mites can be a problem. If you see bunches of small pear-shaped insects (aphids) congregating on leaf undersides and branches, prune them away. A blast of water from a hose should remove any remaining aphids.
For mites, keep the soil moist, and they will generally stay away. However, if they do start to cause stippling on the leaves, prune away damaged areas, and use insecticidal soap to control them.
Diseases
Boost airflow to limit the risk of disease.
Leaf blights tend to be the most common diseases on herbaceous peonies. Stem blights can also be an issue. Do your annual fall cleanup to prevent proliferation of these fungal diseases in the debris left after the aboveground plant parts die back. Prune for airflow to prevent leaf blight and remove any leaves that take on splotching.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should expect it to reach about three feet tall and two feet wide.
While they require some extra maintenance, they are relatively easy to grow when they’re cultivated in the right conditions.
This peony variety is beautiful and showy, like the actor Sarah Bernhardt.
These peonies prefer full sun, with afternoon shade, especially in hot areas.
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