This herbaceous perennial has upright stems with thick fleshy roots and forms a clump. It has divided leaves with bluish green ovate leaflets and the purplish-red bowl-shaped flowers appear singularly above the foliage from late spring to early summer.

Hardiness zones 7 to 9

Paeonia masculais naturally found from Morocco to Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey (Asia Minor) grown on the coast and in the lower mountains amongst forest from sea-level to an altitude of 2,100 m (6,500 ft).

It prefers a semi-shaded to full sun wind protected position and grows in well-drained fertile moist sandy soils that are tending acid to neutral with a pH 4.5-7.5 but will also tolerate heavy clay and is frost and mildly drought tolerant.

The Arietina Peony is grown for its flowers and clumping habit. It is planted in a small or cottage gardens along herbaceous borders or mass planted for bedding displays in parks and gardens. It is suitable for coastal and low-mountain regions establishing in 2-3 years and is moderately long-lived. It is also grown in patio pots and planter boxes or used in moist rockeries. ID 3444

Note:
In its native habitat it is becoming rare due to private collectors and habitat destruction.

Paeonia(pie-ON-ee-a) mascula(MAS-kew-lah)

Paeoniaceae(PIE-on-ee-AY-see-ee)