Blog
Groot&Groot Peonies
A look at one of our favourite Peony growers!
Groot&Groot Peonies is a grower of high quality Peony cutflowers and roots. With production locations and partners in the Netherlands, France, Italy, and South-Africa they are able to provide fresh Peonies year-round.
Their flower assortment spans 39 different varieties and their unique methods during cultivation, harvesting, and processing ensures the highest possible quality. Groot&Groot’s strenght lies within their strict selection process of their harvested flowers. This ensures that every trolley leaving their company has a uniform look and that all flowers in each bucket are the same size. This is exactly why we – at Hukra – are such fans of this company! Groot&Groot is innovative and continuously reviews their assortment. This way, they strive to offer the newest and best varieties available!
The flower
Peonies are a classic garden plant and it’s classified as a perennial. This means that it will flower more than once during its lifespan. The plants can grow up to 100 cm tall and they can last more than ten years.
When grown outside, peonies have a flowering span of about two weeks. The period in which they flower depends on the climate in which they are grown, but this is usually during spring time. A peony plant can produce between 6 to 15 flowers, depending on the variety and the circumstances under which they are grown.
The flowers are cut by hand, so that only the flowers of the best quality and in the right stage are cut at the right time. Groot&Groot does not apply large scale harvesting mechanisms, as this might damage the flower.
Multiple locations
Groot&Groot has multiple partners and production locations in other countries. All locations use the same cultivation standards and harvesting process so that the flowers are of equal quality and standards.
The peonies from Italy are the earliest in the year and are available during March and April, followed by France (flowers available in May and June), the Netherlands (flowers available in July and August), and (this year for the first time) South Africa, from which the flowers will be available from October to January.
Assortment
Groot&Groot’s wide cutflower assortment spans 39 varieties of single, semi-double, and double flowers, fragrant and non-fragrant. From the ever classic and beloved Sarah Bernhardt, to deep red as Old Faithful and Illini Warrior, bright shades like Coral Charm, and white varieties like Ivory Victory and Class Act. This diverse assortment allows for the workload to be spread during the harvest season, as each variety has its own characteristics and flowering period. The assortment is constantly reviewed and innovated, with new and exclusive varieties being added.
Sustainability
Sustainability is becoming more and more important throughout the entire sector. Groot&Groot is continuously innovating in this aspect. They try to grow their Peonies with as less impact on the environment as possible. They use sustainable and organic pest control, and hold an MPS certificate since 2020. By carefully monitoring the soil, the company is able to optimize the production of a peony plant, but at the same time the use of pest control and fertilizers is reduced, as the plants receive only what is necessary.
This year, the company had a total of 340 high yield solar panels installed on the roof. The panels provide a large percentage of their energy needs during the spring and summer months, the high season in which the flowers are harvested and processed. By taking these steps Groot&Groot works towards a greener future.
Did you know?
Outside of the flowering season, Peonies can be kept for a long time in a cold storage! This does not impact the quality of the flowers at all if they are kept in the right conditions. Groot&Groot has perfected this way of dry storing the flowers, allowing them to have the flowers available year-round.
Rest assured, the flowers will open when they are put in a vase and they will bloom beautifully!
