Forget Fussy Peonies: This Stunning Perennial Blooms Longer With Less Effort

Peonies (Paeonia spp.) make one stunning spring blossom, thanks to their large, layered-petal pink flowers and enticing, sweet fragrance. So, it's no surprise that they're a popular pick. But growing peonies can present a challenge: While they are generally pretty hardy plants, they can be a bit challenging to grow, thanks to their long lead time that could leave you waiting two to three years to see a single flower. And when their beautiful flowers finally do appear, they don't stick around for very long. Peonies typically only bloom from late April to early June, giving you just seven to eight weeks to enjoy their eye-catching pink flowers. If you're hoping to add the gorgeous appearance of peonies into your garden but don't want to deal with a fussy, short-blooming flower, there's a stunning (and longer-blooming!) perennial you need to try: camellias.

Camellias (Camellia spp.) are small, flowering evergreen shrubs that bloom with blossoms that look similar to those iconic peony flowers. Some of the most commonly-grown camellias include Camellia sasanqua and Camellia japonica, which deliver captivating flowers each blooming season. With 260 species to choose from (and 2,300 named cultivars!), it's possible to find camellias with ruffle-edged petals that look quite similar to peonies in shades of pink. And while peonies can be tricky to grow with their short blooming season, camellias are a longer-blooming perennial that can start to flower as early as October and keep blooming all the way through April. These peony alternatives can handle cold, frosty weather and, if you choose your camellia varieties carefully, can keep your garden blooming for five months — or even longer.

If you're ready to give growing camellias a try in your garden rather than peonies, you'll need to decide which varietal you'll plant. Camellia japonica is one of the most common choices — one of its names is "Common Camellia," after all! — and if you opt for this perennial, know that it can bloom in late winter to early spring with flowers that capture that familiar peony-like look in hues of white, red, and pink; it also grows best in USDA hardiness zones 7 to 9. 

Like peonies, camellias are slow to grow and it can take a bit of time for them to get established in your garden and show off their blooms. So, if you plant them for the first time this year, know that you may need to wait until the next year to see those eye-catching flowers appear. If you choose camellias that flower at different points of the year, you can keep the plant blooming in your garden for multiple seasons.

It doesn't take a ton of effort to get camellias thriving, either. These hardy plants can actually be added to your garden any time of the year, though it's a shrub best planted in October to November or March to April. Keep in mind that water is key: Camellias need consistent water in order to blossom. You'll want to make sure the plant roots are well-hydrated, but not so saturated that you run the risk of problems like root rot. Once they've been properly watered, pruned, and otherwise cared for, camellias are a perennial that can actually last for decades.