Peony Roses in Season Now: 6 Stunning Varieties from Our London Flower Shop

This is the moment we wait for all year. Peony season in London is short, unpredictable, and completely glorious. From late April through June, these extraordinary blooms take over the market and fill our studio with the kind of beauty that stops you mid-sentence. You walk in, see them, and forget what you were about to say.

Right now we're working with six exceptional peony rose varieties, each one with its own character, its own colour story, and its own way of opening that makes you want to sit and watch it like a slow-motion film. If you've ever wanted to understand why people lose their minds over peonies, this is your guide.

Bowl of Cream Peony Rose: The Finest White Peony for Bouquets

If elegance had a flower, it would be this one. Bowl of Cream is a fully double peony rose with enormous blooms that can reach up to eight inches across. The petals open in a soft, warm cream that gradually fades to pure milk-white over a few days, and hidden deep inside the flower you'll find golden stamens that seem to glow from within, like a candle behind curtains.

The name is perfect. It genuinely looks like someone poured a bowl of the thickest, richest cream and it bloomed into a flower. The shape is round and generous, with broad outer petals enclosing layer after layer of softer, finer petals towards the centre.

This variety was introduced in 1963 by Carl Klehm and went on to win the American Peony Society Gold Medal in 1981. That award doesn't come easily. It's reserved for varieties that have proven themselves to be exceptional over decades, not just seasons.

Bowl of Cream is one of the finest white peony roses in the world for cut flowers. The stems are strong, the blooms are long-lasting, and the fragrance is sweet without being heavy. In a bouquet, a single stem does the work of three lesser flowers.

Best for: bridal bouquets, all-white arrangements, anyone who wants a showstopper that whispers rather than shouts.

Sarah Bernhardt Peony Rose: The Classic Pink Peony Everyone Loves

Sarah Bernhardt was introduced in 1906 by French breeder Victor Lemoine, who named it after the legendary actress of the same era. Over a century later, it remains the most widely grown and most requested peony variety on the planet. When people picture a peony, this is usually the flower they're seeing in their mind.

The blooms are fully double, rose-pink, and enormous. Up to eight inches across with ruffled, densely packed petals that transition from a deeper pink at the centre to a softer, silvery pink at the edges. Some petals carry faint flecks of raspberry, which adds a warmth and complexity you only notice when you look closely.

And the fragrance. Rich, sweet, unmistakably peony. It fills a room without overwhelming it.

Sarah Bernhardt is a late-midseason bloomer, which means she appears towards the second half of peony season. She's also famously reliable. Strong stems, abundant flowers, and a vase life that stretches to ten days or more if you catch her at the right stage of opening.

One note from experience: this variety can sometimes be slow to open from a tight bud. If yours seem reluctant, a little warmth and a fresh diagonal cut on the stem usually coax them out within a day or two.

Best for: gifts, romantic bouquets, mixed seasonal arrangements, and anyone who wants the classic peony experience.

Pillow Talk Peony Rose: Soft Pink Blooms That Steal the Show

The name alone tells you what to expect. Soft, romantic, and completely irresistible. Pillow Talk is a fully double peony rose with enormous pale pink blooms that can exceed ten inches in diameter when fully open. Ten inches! That's bigger than most dinner plates. The petals are densely packed, powder-puff soft, and so pale they almost glow. Towards the centre, the pink fades to near-white, creating a luminous, dreamy quality that photographs beautifully.

This variety was bred by Roy Klehm, first noted in 1952, and finally registered in 1973. It won the American Peony Society Gold Medal in 1994, which puts it in very exclusive company. The stems are sturdy enough to hold those massive blooms upright, which is impressive considering the sheer weight of the flower when it's fully open.

The fragrance is sweet and gentle, the kind you lean into rather than the kind that announces itself across the room.

Pillow Talk blooms mid-season and has become a firm favourite with brides and event florists for good reason. There's something about this variety that makes everything around it look more beautiful. One stem in a bud vase on a bedside table is enough to change the mood of an entire room.

Best for: wedding flowers, centrepieces, gifts where you want to make someone genuinely gasp.

Moon Over Barrington Peony Rose: A Cream-to-Blush Luxury Bloom

Moon Over Barrington is a fully double, rose-type peony with cream-to-blush blooms that can reach eight inches across. The flowers open with a soft blush warmth and mature to a creamy white with a subtle golden undertone that gives the whole bloom an almost luminous quality, like moonlight on water. The fragrance is spicy and distinctive, quite different from the sweeter scent of Sarah Bernhardt or Pillow Talk.

Bred by R.G. Klehm at his nursery in Barrington, Illinois, and registered in 1986, this variety sits in the same distinguished family as Bowl of Cream. It blooms mid-season and produces exceptionally large buds that open into flowers heavy enough to nod gently on the stem, which actually makes them perfect for large-scale arrangements where you want movement and life rather than rigid structure.

The foliage is deep green and handsome, the stems are strong, and the overall effect is one of quiet, confident luxury. This is not a flower that tries hard. It doesn't need to.

Moon Over Barrington is a favourite among florists who work with bridal and event flowers because it bridges the gap between white and pink. It's not quite either. It's that beautiful, hard-to-define space in between.

Best for: luxury bridal bouquets, elegant mixed arrangements, anyone who appreciates subtlety and depth in a flower.

Jacorma Peony Rose: The Late-Season Pink Peony That Extends the Magic

If you think peony season ends in early June, Jacorma is here to prove you wrong. This is one of the very last peony varieties to bloom each year, arriving just when you thought the season was over and extending it by a glorious extra week or two. Jacorma is a Dutch-bred variety, introduced in 1969, and its name is a charming abbreviation of three Dutch names: Jan, Cor, and Marie.

The flowers are fully double, richly pink (the kind of pink that makes people say "bubblegum" and mean it as a compliment), and impressively large at six to seven inches across. The petals are densely ruffled and the overall shape is rounded, almost pompom-like, with a warmth and generosity that feels celebratory.

Jacorma's stems are strong and sturdy with dark green, glossy foliage that provides a beautiful contrast to those bright pink blooms. The fragrance is light and pleasant, classic lactiflora. And the vase life is excellent, partly because this variety has notably good resistance to botrytis, the mould that can sometimes trouble peonies in damp conditions.

One thing to know: Jacorma needs to be a little more open before cutting than some other varieties. If the buds are still very tight and haven't developed any colour on the inside, they may struggle to open. Wait until the petals feel slightly soft to the touch and you'll be rewarded with a bloom that lasts and lasts.

Best for: extending the peony season, vibrant pink arrangements, gifts that feel joyful and generous.

Command Performance Peony Rose: The Colour-Changing Peony You Won't Forget

Save the best surprise for last. Command Performance is unlike any other peony in this collection. It's a hybrid variety, registered in 1996 by Don Hollingsworth, and it does something extraordinary: it changes colour. Every single day.

The buds open cardinal red, deep and dramatic. Over the next two days, the red shifts to dark orange, then to salmon. Then from salmon to peach. Then from peach to cream. And finally to white. The entire transformation plays out over roughly two weeks, which also happens to be this variety's remarkable vase life.

This colour-shifting magic has earned Command Performance the nickname "the gobstopper," and honestly it's the perfect comparison. You think you've seen the flower, and then the next morning it's become something entirely different.

The blooms are massive, fully double, bomb-shaped, and can reach up to nine inches across. The stems are thick and sturdy. The fragrance is spicy and bold, completely different from the sweet softness of a Sarah Bernhardt or Pillow Talk.

Command Performance blooms mid-season and is available for longer stretches than many peony varieties, which makes it easier to source. But it's still a statement flower. This is the one you put in a vase on its own, in a spot where people will see it, and then watch them do a double-take when they walk past it the next day and it's a different colour.

Best for: people who love surprises, dramatic solo arrangements, anyone who wants a genuine conversation starter on their table.

Order Fresh Peony Roses from Our Covent Garden Flower Shop Before the Season Ends

Peony season doesn't wait. By mid-June, these flowers begin to disappear from the market, and once they're gone, they're gone until next year.

Right now, all six of these varieties are moving through our hands at the studio. We're building them into hand-tied bouquets, bridal arrangements, and bespoke pieces for homes, offices, and events across Central London. Every stem is sourced fresh from the market that morning and arranged with the care that comes from nearly eighty years of doing this.

If there's a specific variety you want, let us know and we'll do our best to get it for you while the season allows. Or tell us your colour palette and your occasion and we'll choose the best of what's available that day. That's often how the most beautiful bouquets happen: when we work with what the season is giving us.

However you'd like to do it, don't wait too long. Peonies are the most fleeting luxury in the flower world, and that's exactly what makes them so special.