Welcome to the first ever ‘Plant-Off’, where I pit two plants against each other and compare their traits, to see which one comes out on top!
In the ring today are roses and peonies.
Both are classic flowers which produce lovely, fat blooms and wonderful scents. However, each has pros and cons which will decide its fate in the Plant-Off.
Let’s see who wins!
View Peonies to buy now

Michael has been involved with gardening and plants since he was just five years old. He is a self-professed Plant Geek, and was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 most influential people in the gardening world, thanks to his plant hunter role at Thompson & Morgan.
Michael was responsible for new plant introductions such as the Egg and Chips plant and the FuchsiaBerry and keeps busy travelling the world in search of new plants as well as lecturing worldwide, including stints in Japan. He is very active on social media – so why not give him a follow at @mr_plantgeek or Facebook – and writes a plant-focused Substack called Grow This, Not That.
Louis Riehm
Roses are of course beautiful, but peonies are somehow more of a decorative flower, such as for trim and such. Roses are best left to individual bushes.