One more Tree Peony

I'll restrain myself and only add a couple more, but this one is Jade Plate White. Each bloom is huge and it gets more every year. It stops traffic!

Absolutely Beautiful!

What should I look for when buying a tree peony?

I can buy a boxed one for $8 at Costco. They are planted in what looks like peat and a "stick" is sticking up out of the box. Is one stick ok... should I look for one with more than one branch? Or is there something else I should look for?

any help will be appreciated.

I'm not an expert, but one thing I always look for is fat, healthy-looking buds. Tree peonies are often grafted to other than their own root-stock, so they are planted differently than herbaceous ones -- that graft has to be below the ground. The quality of the rootstock could make a difference in the overall health of the plant, too. I think it is possible to get a good quality plant from a discount store, but just make sure it hasn't been there too long! If it has good buds and you are patient about not getting flowers for a couple of years it's worth a try. They take a bit longer to get established than herbaceous peonies, too, but they don't die to the ground every winter, so growth accumulates from year to year and the plant increases in height and width.

Shudhave,

Thanks for the help.