Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Paeoniaceae

Genus:

Paeonia

Species:

Paeonia californica

USDA Symbol:

PACA2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

60 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

jan,feb,mar,apr

Bloom Colors:

red, maroon, brown

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, ants

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from tuberous roots following fire; adapted to California chaparral fire regimes.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

well-drained, sandy or rocky soil

pH:

6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

dry to moderate

Notes:

native to chaparral and coastal sage scrub habitats

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 90–180 days

Germination Time:

30–365 days

Notes:

Seeds require warm stratification followed by cold stratification; germination is slow and erratic, often taking over a year.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI