13 Flowers That Look Like Peonies

No doubt you would agree that peonies can light up a room.

However, maybe you want to be a little different and you are looking for an alternative to peonies.

Well, if so, you are in the right place.

In this next post, we are going to look at 13 flowers that look like peonies.

Let’s get started!

13 Flowers That Look Like Peonies

Double Late Tulips

You may be surprised that the first flower we are going to take a closer look at is the tulip. However, this flower is not your ordinary tulip. It is a Double Tulip.

What is a Double Tulip? As you can see from the picture it looks much like a tulip, but it has more petals. More petals give it that classic ruffled flower look.

It is because of this that many people often mistake it for a peony.

Ranunculus

Another flower that is often confused with a Peony is the Ranunculus. After looking at the picture above we can understand why they are easily confused.

So your next question might be, what is the difference between a Ranunculus and a Peony? One of the biggest differences is the size. Peonies tend to have bigger flowers than Ranunculus.

Additionally, they both produce a multi-layer bloom, but the bloom of Ranunculus tends to be more tightly formed.

Dahlia

Native to Mexico and Central America we have the beautiful Dahlia. There are over 42 different varieties of this flower.

Many produce a long stem with a single flower. Each blossom has tighten-formed petals that are slightly ruffled, which makes them look like peonies.

One interesting thing about Dahlias is that when they were first discovered they were classified as a vegetable. This is because many people ate the tubers. So what does Dahlia taste like?

Well, some people have said they taste like a mixture between potatoes and radishes.

Lastly, they are available in a number of different colors, but they do not produce blue flowers. So, if you see a blue Dahlia, it probably isn’t a real one.

You may also enjoy reading: What to plant with peonies – My top picks

Marigolds

You will see the next flower in Spring, Summer, and even Fall. It is the ever-popular Marigold. Now when you think of the Marigold we often think of those small flowers that we have seen in a small planter.

However, there are some species that can grow very tall. Just how tall can they grow? One species can grow up to 5 feet tall. Imagine that!

Another interesting fact about these flowers is that butterflies love them. So, if you want to see more of these little critters around your garden or flower beds, marigolds might be the best option for you.

Lastly, not only do they spice up the garden, but they can spice up the kitchen. Yes, you read that correctly, these flowers are edible. They can be used as a spice and some have even made wine from these flowers.

Begonia

There is a wide variety of our next flower, Begonia. Did you know that there are over 1000 species of Begonia? They come in a number of different colors and shapes. For example, the blossoms can be ruffled, delicate or smooth. I prefer the ruffled ones myself.

Of course, the species that produce large and ruffled blossoms are most often confused with the peony.

One interesting fact about Begonia is that they produce one of the smallest seeds in the world. In fact, the seed can look very similar to just a piece of dust.

Camellia

Native to Southeast Asia is the beautiful Camellia. This is a flowering shrub that produces large beautiful flowers. This shrub can grow up to 12 feet wide and 12 feet tall. Depending on the variety they tend to bloom between late-fall and mid-spring.

The flowers themselves are usually white and shades of red or pink, but there can be other combinations as well. They come in a variety of different shapes. Some of these shapes include single bloom, semi-double, formal double, anemone, rose-shaped, and of course you guessed it peony shaped.

One surprising thing about Camellia plants is that they live a long time. Some are known to live for more than 100 years.

Hydrangea

There is a lot number of hydrangeas species in the world. In fact, some sources estimate there are as many as 80 different species. That is a whole lot of different flowers.

However, the hydrangea itself can be broken down into at least 6 different types. Those different types are bigleaf, smooth, panicle, oakleaf, climbing, and mountain. In my opinion, the one that most resembles the peony is the mophead.

It is sometimes called Franch hydrangeas or hortensias.

French Hydrangeas can grow up to 10 feet tall. The blooms can be white, blue, pink, purple, or even red. Interestingly enough, the color of the flower depends on the soil.

Garden Roses

The next on our list is the Garden Rose.

Garden roses are basically hybrid rose that is grown in a private or public garden. Not only do they look beautiful, but they smell great too.

What sets from apart from other flowers is that they oftentimes have a high petal count and ruffled petals. That gives them that fluffy appearance that makes them look just like peonies.

They produce flowers that range in colors from white, pink, yellow, and yes even red. Typically their petals are of a single color, but there are striped and blended types as well.

Carnation

Next up, we have the carnation. For those that like to know the scientific names of flowers as well, this flower is called the Dianthus caryophyllus. That is too hard for me to pronounce, so I think I will stick with carnation, but some people also call them the clove pink.

It is most well known for its fringe petal flowers and spicy clove-like fragrance. For that reason, it is a very popular flower often displayed at weddings.

In fact, I think it would be safe to say that everyone reading this post has at some time in their life either received or given someone a bouquet of carnations.

Typically you will see white, pink, or red carnations. However, it is common to dye white carnation a different certain color for a special occasion.

Lisianthus

Another beautiful flower that looks very similar to a peony is the Lisianthus or some may know it as the Texas Bluebell, Prairie rose, or Prairie gentian. Its scientific name is Eustoma Grandiflorum.

That signature ruffled-edge look makes these flowers very showy and thus a very popular option in flower arrangements. They produce white, green, lilac, purple, salmon, pink, and yes even blue flowers.

Some petals could be one single color or double. For example, some flowers have darker colors on the edges and center.

An interesting fact about Lisianthus flowers is that they symbolize appreciation, gratitude, and charisma. There is no better way to say thank you than to send someone an arrangement of Lisianthus flowers.

Double impatiens

If you are looking to add some color, the best way might be with some double Impatiens.

This plant typically will grow to 6 to 2 feet tall and 6 to 8 inches wide. They are called double impatiens because they have twice the number of petals as ordinary Impatiens. This gives them that fluffy, ruffled petal look.

Usually, they will bloom starting in early summer all the way to the beginning of fall.

They can produce a wide variety of different colors including; pink, red, white, purple, orange.

Their petals can be of one single color, two colors, three colors, or even striped.

Double Rose Of Sharon

The next one might come as a surprise to some, it is the Double Rose of Sharon also known as Hibiscus Syriacus.

This is a flowering shrub that produces single or double flowers. I think the double Rose of Sharon looks more like a peony than the single.

The blooms are oftentimes very big, with very delicate paper-like petals.

The flower colors include; lavender, blue, pink, white, and red.

Moss Rose

Moss rose or Portulaca grandiflora is another beautiful flower.

Because it stores water in its fleshly leaves it can be classified as a semi-succulent plant.

They are relatively small plants only growing up to 8 inches high. They produce small rose-like flowers. The flower colors include; white, pink, yellow, peach, red, orange fuchsia, magenta, purple and lavender.

However, some hybrids over a wider variety of different colors some of which are spotted or even stripped.

Each flower has 5 very delicate petals. There are also semi-double and double flowers that give it that ruffled appearance.

Floribunda Roses

The last on our list is the Floribunda Rose.

Floribunda roses are a cross between polyantha roses and hybrid teas. For that reason, they produce very showy and yet fragrant blooms.

The flower colors include; blue, pink, red, and white.

One interesting fact about Floribunda roses is that they are one of the longest blooming roses. Typically they start blooming in early spring and can bloom until late fall.

There you have it! 13 flowers that look like peonies. Which one is your favorite? Please share your comments in the section below.