Peony Charlie's White - Peony Bulbs

About Charlie’s White Peony Bulbs

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Charlie’s White’
Originator: Carl G. Klehm | Introduced: 1951 | Type: Herbaceous Peony | Hardiness: Zones 3–8

🤍 Big, billowy and beautifully white—Charlie’s White is an heirloom peony bred for one of our favorite things: cutting armloads of flowers.

Charlie’s White produces enormous ivory-white, fully double blooms with a softly glowing cream-to-pale-yellow center. Broad outer guard petals surround a densely packed, incurved center, creating the classic lush peony shape that looks spectacular in both the garden and a vase.

Introduced more than 70 years ago, Charlie’s White has remained a favorite for its vigorous growth, strong stems and exceptional value as a cut flower.

🌸 Flower & Garden Details

Flower Color: Ivory to creamy white with a soft golden-cream glow at the center
Flower Form: Fully double, globular to bomb-type
Bloom Size: Large to very large; up to approximately 8 inches
Fragrance: Lightly fragrant
Bloom Season: Early to early-mid peony season
Foliage: Glossy, deep green
Habit: Upright, vigorous clumping perennial
Size: Approximately 36–40 inches tall × 30–36 inches wide
Light: Full sun to light afternoon shade
Hardiness: USDA Zones 3–8
Cut Flower: Exceptional
Best Uses: Cutting gardens, cottage gardens, perennial borders, wedding gardens and mass plantings

🤍 A White Peony Bred for Cutting

Charlie’s White was introduced in 1951 by Carl G. Klehm, part of the legendary Klehm family of American peony breeders.

And from the beginning, this peony was recognized for its value as a cut flower.

In a 1952 peony publication, the Klehm nursery described Charlie’s White as what they believed to be their best white commercial cut-flower peony.

More than seven decades later, that tells you a lot about why this variety is still around.

It grows vigorously, produces tall flowering stems and carries large, beautifully formed white flowers that look every bit as good in a vase as they do in the garden.

💛 Why Grace Rose Farm Loves It

Charlie’s White looks like it was made for a bridal bouquet.

The flowers aren't a stark, flat white. That creamy center gives them warmth and dimension, especially as the densely packed petals begin to unfurl.

And we love that this isn't simply a pretty heirloom.

It's a working cutting-garden peony.

Plant several together and, once established, you'll have the kind of peony patch that lets you walk outside with your clippers and come back carrying an armful of enormous white flowers.

Pair Charlie’s White with blush-pink roses and suddenly you've grown half the wedding bouquet yourself.

🌿 Planting & Care

Plant peony roots in full sun and rich, well-drained soil. In warmer regions, some protection from intense afternoon sun can be beneficial.

Peonies are very particular about planting depth. Position the root so the eyes are only about 1–2 inches below the finished soil surface. Planting too deeply is one of the most common reasons peonies grow beautiful foliage but fail to flower.

Space plants approximately 3 feet apart and water thoroughly after planting.

Don't be discouraged if your new bare-root peony doesn't produce a huge floral display immediately. Peonies invest heavily in establishing their root system during their first seasons.

Once settled in, however, they can remain in the same garden for decades—often becoming better with age.

And when Charlie’s White begins producing those enormous flowers?

Bring your clippers.