Peony Raspberry Sundae - Peony Bulbs

About Raspberry Sundae Peony Bulbs

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Raspberry Sundae’
Breeder: Carl G. Klehm | Introduced: 1968 | Origin: Illinois, USA | Type: Bomb-Form Herbaceous Peony | Hardiness: Zones 3–8

🍨 Vanilla cream, blush pink and a generous drizzle of raspberry—Raspberry Sundae may be the most delicious-looking peony we've ever grown.

Raspberry Sundae produces enormous, confection-like flowers in layers of soft blush pink, creamy vanilla and deeper raspberry pink.

Broad pink guard petals form the "dish," while a towering center of creamy petaloids rises above them, finished with ruffled raspberry-pink petals.

It's whimsical.

It's romantic.

And yes—it really does look like an enormous raspberry sundae growing in the garden.

🌸 Flower & Garden Details

Flower Color: Blush pink, creamy white and raspberry pink
Flower Form: Large bomb-type double
Bloom Size: Very large; mature flowers can approach 8–10 inches under ideal conditions
Fragrance: Sweetly fragrant
Bloom Season: Early-mid to midseason
Foliage: Deep green
Habit: Upright and vigorous
Size: Approximately 30–36 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 statement plantings

🍨 A Peony That Was Actually Named After Dessert

Sometimes a plant name is marketing.

This one really isn't.

When Carl G. Klehm registered Raspberry Sundae with the American Peony Society in 1968, its official description compared the flower to a heap of vanilla ice cream covered in raspberry topping.

And once you've seen the flower fully open, it's hard to describe it any better.

The broad blush-pink petals create a saucer beneath an enormous creamy center, while raspberry-pink petals tumble over the top.

As the flower matures, the colors continue to soften and mingle.

Every stage is beautiful.

🤍 And There's a Charlie's White Connection

Here's one of our favorite pieces of its history.

Raspberry Sundae is a child of Charlie’s White.

Klehm created Raspberry Sundae from a cross between Charlie’s White and one of his own unnamed seedlings.

That makes offering both varieties especially fun.

Charlie's White gives us that enormous, classic creamy-white double flower.

Raspberry Sundae takes those genetics in an entirely different direction—adding blush, cream and raspberry into one extraordinary bomb-shaped bloom.

Plant them together and you're not simply growing two beautiful peonies.

You're growing a little piece of American peony-breeding history.

✂️ Bring an Extra Bucket

Raspberry Sundae is an outstanding cutting peony.

The flowers are enormous, fragrant and filled with exactly the kind of subtle color variation that makes a bouquet look effortlessly beautiful.

Blush.

Cream.

Raspberry.

A touch of pale yellow.

You almost don't need anything else.

The enormous mature flowers can become quite heavy, particularly after rain, so plants may benefit from a peony ring or discreet support.

But we'll happily stake a plant for flowers like these.

💛 Why Grace Rose Farm Loves It

This peony has our name written all over it.

It's romantic.

It's fragrant.

It's an exceptional cut flower.

It has a wonderful American breeding story.

And it looks like dessert.

What's not to love?

We especially love how the flower changes as it opens. The colors don't sit neatly in separate layers—they blend, soften and tumble into one another, so every flower feels slightly different.

For the cutting garden, we'd grow it alongside Charlie’s White, Duchesse de Nemours and Chestine Gowdy for an incredible palette of cream, blush, raspberry and white.

Then we'd bring out the biggest vase we own.

🌿 Planting & Care

Plant peony roots in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. A little afternoon shade can be beneficial in hotter climates and may help the flowers last longer.

Position the root so the eyes sit approximately 1–2 inches below the finished soil surface. Peonies planted too deeply may produce beautiful foliage but fail to flower.

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

Because Raspberry Sundae produces exceptionally large, heavy flowers, consider installing a peony ring or support early in spring, allowing the foliage to grow naturally through it and disguise the support.

Be patient with newly planted roots. Peonies often spend their first seasons establishing the root system that will eventually support decades of flowers.

And Raspberry Sundae?

She's worth the wait.