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Peonies
BotanicalPaeonia spp.
Name:

Plant Flower
Type:

Sun Full Sun

Exposure:

Soil Neutral
pH:

Bloom Spring , Summer

Photo Credit: Pixabay Time:

Flower Pink , Purple ,

Color: Red , White ,
 Yellow

Hardiness3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8
Zone:

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Peony Flowers

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The peony is outrageously beautiful in bloom with the fattest,

most scrumptious flowers and lush green foliage. Enjoy

breathtaking flowers from spring to summer. See how to plant,

grow, and care for peonies.

About Peonies

Peonies are perennials that come back every year to take your

breath away. In fact, the plants may live longer than you do—some
have been known to thrive for at least 100 years.

When Is Peony Season? When Do Peonies Bloom?

Peonies bloom from late spring through early summer,

depending on your location and the variety of peony

you’re growing.

Many nurseries offer early, midseason, and late blooming

varieties, making it possible for you to stretch out the peony

season over many weeks and enjoy those lovely blooms for as long

as possible!

Peonies are hardy to Zone 3 and grow well as far south as Zones 7
and 8. In most of the U.S., the rules for success are simple: provide

full sun and well-drained soil. Peonies even relish cold winters,

because they need chilling for bud formation.

Types of Peony Flowers
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There are six peony flower types to choose from: anemone,

single, Japanese, semi-double, double, and bomb. Fragrances vary

as well—some plants such as ‘Festiva Maxima’ and ‘Duchesse de

Nemours’ have intoxicating rose-like scents while others are

lemony or have no scent at all. 
Where to Plant Peonies

Peonies make fine sentinels lining walkways or a lovely low hedge.

After its stunning bloom, the peony’s bushy clump of handsome

glossy green leaves lasts all summer, and then turns purplish-red

or gold in the fall, as stately and dignified as any flowering shrub.

In mixed borders, peonies bloom with columbines, baptisias, and

veronicas, and combine well with irises and roses. Plant white
peonies with yellow irises and a froth of forget-me-nots; set off

pink peonies with blue Nepeta or violets.

PLANTING
Peonies are not too fussy, but choose your location wisely, as they

resent disturbance and do not transplant well.

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Peonies like full sun, and though they can manage with half a day,

they bloom best in a sunny spot that gets 6 to 8 hours of sunlight

each day.
Provide shelter from strong winds, as peonies’ large blooms can

make them top heavy. (Use stakes to hold them up, if necessary.)

Don’t plant too close to trees or shrubs, as peonies don’t like to

compete for food, light, and moisture.

Grow peonies in deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist soil that drains

well. Soil pH should be neutral.

When to Plant Peonies

Peony plants require little maintenance as long as they are

planted properly and establish themselves. Note, however,

that they do not respond well to transplanting, so you should plan

your planting site accordingly.

Plant peonies in the fall: in late September and October in

most of the U.S., and even later in the fall in Zones 7 and 8.

(Find your planting zone here.)

If you must move a mature plant, fall is the time to do it—

specifically, when the plant has gone dormant.

 Peonies should be settled into place about six weeks before the

ground freezes.
Although it’s certainly possible to plant peonies in the spring,

spring-planted peonies just don’t do as well. Experts

agree: they generally lag about a year behind those planted in
the fall.

How to Plant Peonies

Peonies are usually sold as bare-root tubers with 3 to 5 eyes

(buds), divisions of a 3- or 4-year-old plant.

Space peonies 3 to 4 feet apart to allow for good air circulation

between the plants. Stagnant, humid air can be a recipe for
disease to develop.

Dig a generous-sized hole, about 2 feet deep and 2 feet across

in well-drained soil in a sunny spot. The soil will benefit from

the addition of organic material in the planting hole. If the soil

is heavy or very sandy, enrich it with extra compost.

Incorporate about one cup of bonemeal into the soil. Learn

more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
Set the root so the eyes face upward on top of a mound of soil

in the hole, placing the roots just 2 inches below the soil
surface. Don’t plant too deep! (In southern states, choose
early-blooming varieties, plant them about 1 inch deep, and

provide some shade.)
Then, backfill the hole, taking care that the soil doesn’t settle

and bury the root deeper than 2 inches. Tamp the soil gently.
When planting a container-grown peony, cover it no deeper

than it grew in the pot.

Water thoroughly at the time of planting.
 GROWING

How to Care for Peonies

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Like children, young peonies take time to develop. They usually

need a few years to establish themselves, bloom, and grow. And

soon enough, they venture out on their own, mature and well-
adjusted… Wait, no, that’s just children.

Peonies thrive on benign neglect. Unlike most perennials, they

don’t need to be dug and divided every few years.
Spare the fertilizer. Work the soil well before you plant, mixing

in compost and a little fertilizer, and that should be enough.

If your soil is poor, the time to apply fertilizer (bonemeal,

compost, or well-rotted manure) is early summer, after the

peonies have bloomed and you have deadheaded the flowers.

Don’t fertilize more than every few years.

Help the stems. If peonies have any structural weakness, it is
their stems, which are sometimes not strong enough to

support their gigantic blossoms. Consider three-legged metal

peony rings or wire tomato cages that allow the plant to grow

through the center of the support.

Deadhead peony blossoms as soon as they begin to fade,

cutting to a strong leaf so that the stem doesn’t stick out of the
foliage. Cut the foliage to the ground in the fall to avoid any
overwintering diseases.

Don’t smother peonies with mulch. Where cold temperatures

are severe, for the first winter after planting you can mulch

VERY loosely with pine needles or shredded bark. Remove

mulch in the spring.

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES
Peonies bloom between late spring and early summer, but you can

plan your garden for a successive display of flowers from mid-May

to late June by planting a selection of varieties. Here are
some choices:

‘Early Scout’: very early-blooming, red single flowers

‘Firelight’: very early-blooming, pale-pink single blossoms

‘Karl Rosenfield’: midseason-blooming, double with large

crimson blossoms
‘Norma Volz’: midseason-blooming; large, white, fully
double flowers

‘Elsa Sass’: late-season–blooming; double, pure-white,

camellia-like flowers

‘Rare Flower of Frosty Dew’: late-season–blooming, 3-foot

plant with bright pink fragrant blooms

HARVESTING

Keeping Peony Flowers in a Vase

Peonies make wonderful cut flowers, lasting more than a week in

a vase. For best results, cut long stems in the morning when the
buds are still fairly tight. 

You can wrap freshly cut peony stems in damp paper towel and
put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you’re ready to

use them. When removing the peonies from the refrigerator give
the stems a fresh cut and place them in lukewarm water to wake
them up.

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 WIT AND WISDOM
Peonies are said to symbolize a happy life and a happy
marriage. See more flower meanings here.
Marco Polo described peony blossoms as “roses as big

as cabbages”.
According to the ancient practice of phenology, when peonies

blossom, it is safe to plant heat-loving melons, such as

cantaloupe.

Peony petals are edible. Add to summer salads or use as

garnish for lemonade and ice tea. Read more about edible
 flowers!

Had I but four square feet of ground at my disposal, I would plant a

peony in the corner and proceed to worship. 

–Alice Harding, The Book of the Peony

PESTS/DISEASES
Peonies are generally very hardy. Plus, peonies are also one of
many deer-resistant plants you can grow in your garden.

However, they are susceptible to:

Verticillium wilt

Ringspot virus

Tip blight
Stem rot

Botrytis blight

Leaf blotch

Japanese beetles
Nematodes

Why Are There Ants on My Peonies?

Many gardeners wonder why so many ants crawl on the peony

buds. Don’t worry! They are just eating the peony’s nectar in
exchange for attacking bud-eating pests. They are attracted to

the sugary droplets on the outside of flower buds or to the

honeydew produced by scale insects and aphids. Never spray the

ants; they’re helping you by keeping your peonies safe!

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COMMENTS

ADD A COMMENT

Stephanie (not verified) 3 months 1 week ago

I'm a bit confused as it says to dig a 2 ft hole but then it also says to not

plant them more than 2 inches deep? I feel a bit stupid, I'm probably just ADVERTISEMENT

not understanding...are you saying to fill the hole with compost an

amendments and then plant the tuber on top of that with 2 inches of soil

on top?
 REPLY

The Editors 3 months ago

You are correct! We are saying to dig a deeper hole to loosen the

soil and backfill with compost and other amendments, then to

plant the peonies 2 inches from the surface. 

REPLY

Renee (not verified) 6 months 1 week ago

I live in zone 5 and need to move my peonies that have thrived for 20 years

in one location. One of the peonies has been infiltrated by a flowering

weed and I would like to completely eliminate it when I transplant it. Any

recommendations on how to split the plant to get rid of the weeds without

killing the peony?

REPLY
 The Editors 6 months 1 week ago

Hi, Renee,

This should not be complicated. When you lift the peony roots,

you should be able to tell what is weed and what is peony tuber,

and so pull/rip/cut the weed and its roots from the peony

tubers. Your long-lived peony roots should be healthy and

visible; just shake or brush off the dirt. We hope this helps!

REPLY

Kelly Donaldson (not verified) 7 months 1 week ago

After my peonies have bloomed and lost their leaves each location of the

flowers their are three sead like pods growing, are these new seeds?,

REPLY

Marilyn (not verified) 4 months 4 weeks ago

 I'm wondering the same thing about the seed-like pods. If dried

and planted, would they produce new peony plants?

REPLY

The Editors 4 months 4 weeks ago

Peonies can be grown from seed, but it’s generally not worth the

trouble. They take 5 to 6 years to mature to flowering age, so

you could be waiting quite a while for any blooms.

REPLY

Sharon Phillips (not verified) 7 months 2 weeks ago

I have a very deep red peony. The flower is gorgeous. I planted the peony

about 3 or 4 years ago and it is about 2 foot tall when it blooms. I get 3 to 5

blossoms. After it blooms the leaves turn dark and dry up and die. I have

had peonies for years and never had a problem. It is planted in an area by

itself and gets good watering. I believe it is an Armani peony. I was

wondering if I should transplant it or maybe put it in a large pot and baby

it. Any tips you have would be appreciated. Sharon

REPLY

Julia Duncan (not verified) 6 months 3 weeks ago

When is the best time to cut back peonies

REPLY

The Editors 7 months 1 week ago

Hi, Sharon. We are glad to hear that your peony blooms without

issue, but it sounds like the leaves might have a fungus. Since we

can’t see what the leaves look like, we would encourage you to

look at images on the web and try to id exactly what fungus it is

so you can treat it. Some ideas are Phytophthora leaf blight,

peony leaf blotch, or botrytis. Good luck!

 REPLY

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