Tree Peony Cut Down By Overzealous Contractor. Could It Come Back?

Question

I have had bad luck with my last two Tree Peonies. The first, the bark of the plant just withered away. And the one I got last year to replace it was cut down by a contractor we hired to paint our house. He took it upon himself to prune our plants so the house would have more street appeal. I didn’t notice it was missing until weeks later because it was very small and just a knob of a trunk when I purchased it. I dug around to find it and it was still intact under the ground. Is it possible it will come back? Also, the previous (and my favorite, a hanakisoi) tree peony that lost its trunk…there is peony foliage coming up in its place the past few years. Is that a sign it’s trying to return?

Answer 1

Tree peonies are not supposed to be cut back severely, so it may not return. The one that is showing some foliage may not look like its predecessor if it continues to grow. Japanese tree peonies are hybrids.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/peony/how-to-grow-a-tree-peony.htm