Tree Peony 'High Noon'

‘High Noon’ is a woody Lutea Hybrid peony with bright yellow, semi-double flowers marked by short crimson flares at the petal bases. Its spring display may repeat in autumn, adding a second flush of color to a sunny or lightly shaded garden. ## Flowers and identity The American Peony Society registry records Saunders as originator and classifies High Noon as a Lutea Hybrid; it describes flowers held above the foliage and a reblooming habit. The Saunders Peonies cultivar record gives the selection’s 1952 date and seedling number 14307, and reports a rounded bush with a 31-inch height on a 15-year-old plant. The Society awarded it a Gold Medal in 1989. [American Peony Society registry](https://americanpeonysociety.org/cultivars/peony-registry/high-noon/), [Saunders Peonies cultivar page](https://www.saunderspeonies.com/?page_id=2385) ## Garden setting Woody peonies prefer fertile, well-drained soil and full sun to light shade. Allow room for a permanent, branching shrub and avoid planting close to competing tree roots. [North Carolina State Extension: woody peonies](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/paeonia-woody-types/) ## Maintenance Water regularly during early growth while leaves and flower buds develop. Prune only to shape the shrub; do not cut its woody stems to the ground in winter.