Semi double watermelon red

Paeonia Garden Candy® Hot Tamale

Semi-double , watermelon red flowers cover the plant when it is in full flower.

Hot Tamale, hot tamale, don’t drop it! Or was that hot potato? Hot Tamale is a spicy, pale red, semi-double flower with bright yellow stamens. This perfectly formed plant is covered in 4-6" flowers in early summer then makes a lovely three-foot "shrub" with the cleanest green leaves for the rest of the summer. As with all Garden Candy® ITOHS, this selection is deer and mildew-resistant and provides three seasons of interest with a nice maroon fall color. This was one of Don Smith's first red selections.

Please note: We don't sell plants. Asking your local retailer or googling the plant name is the easiest way to find someone selling our plants.

Please note: Download hi-res photos from the photo gallery at the bottom of the page.

Who Am I?

Common Name

Hot Tamale ITOH peony
Botanical Name

Paeonia 'Smithopus14' PPAF
Type

Perennial
Origin

From the brilliant, patient breeding of New England's own Willy Wonka of flowers, Donald Smith.
Bloom Time

Early Summer
Bloom Color

Medium red

Cultural Details

Bloom Time

Early Summer
Size

3' tall by 3' wide
Hardiness Zone

3-8a
Light

Full sun
Soil

Average garden soil
Moisture

Moist, but well drained and drought tolerant after established
Disease & Pests

Mildew and deer resistant
Landscape Use

Borders, foundations, middle to back of the border
Propagation

Divisions, Tissue Culture
Pruning

Prune back any dead leaves to the ground in early spring, taking care not to disturb the new buds emerging from the soil.