I love the images of tree peonies (paeonia suffruticosa) that I see and have found a few available at local nurseries. However, given their early bloom period and large blooms, I am concerned that they may not really show well in the Vancouver (BC) area with our tendency toward rainy springs. Any locals out there with experience with these plants? In particular, I'd love to hear about P. suffruticosa 'Kamata-nishiki'.
I currently have a tree peony in my yard that probably has been there for 15+ years (I'm on Vancouver Island). It grows very well and blooms a lot. I pruned it back last year as it was getting a big straggly, sacrificing about 50% of the blossoms I usually see. This year, I expect a bumper crop of flowers as it is covered with growth buds.