Planting & Care Advice for Peonies
All peony, in our opinion, are unique here at Breck’s. They are a perennial that has a long lifespan and is a classic in gardens. Peonies are simple to grow and require little maintenance. They blossom in the late spring or early summer, dazzling onlookers with their magnificent floral show. Peony blooms are a sign of spring and are widely used as cut flowers. While some peonies are renowned for their exquisite scent, not all peonies have this lovely aroma. Prior to selecting your peony, be sure to understand the traits of each variety. For more information on planting, cultivating, and maintaining gorgeous peony flowers year after year, keep reading.
Best places to grow peonies?
The peony has the fattest, most delicious petals and rich green foliage, making it outrageously attractive when it is in bloom. From spring to summer, savor stunning floral displays. Learn how to care for, grow, and plant peony.
About Peonies
Peonies are a perennial that will steal your breath away every year. The plants may even outlive you—some have been reported to survive for at least a century.
When Is Peony Season? When Do Peonies Bloom?
Depending on your location and the kind you are planting, peonies bloom from late spring to early summer.
You may extend the peony season across several weeks and take use of those magnificent blossoms for as long as possible thanks to the abundance of nurseries that provide early, midseason, and late blooming types.
Peonies may thrive as far south as Zones 7 and 8, and they are hardy to Zone 3. The key to success in the majority of the United States is to provide full light and well-drained soil. Peonies even enjoy the winter’s coldness because it helps their buds grow.
Types of Peony Flowers
You can pick from six different varieties of peony flowers: anemone, single, Japanese, semi-double, double, and bomb. The odors of different plants also differ; some, like “Festiva Maxima” and “Duchesse de Nemours,” have seductive rose-like aromas, while others have a lemony scent or none at all.
Where to Plant Peonies
When planted as a low hedge or along sidewalks, peonies make excellent sentinels. As majestic and dignified as any flowering shrub, the peony’s bushy cluster of attractive glossy green leaves lasts all summer before turning purplish-red or gold in the fall.
Peonies work nicely with irises and roses in mixed borders and blossom alongside columbines, baptisias, and veronicas. Plant pink peonies with blue Nepeta or violets, then surround white peonies with yellow irises and a froth of forget-me-nots.
Peonies are not overly picky, but you should pick your place carefully because they dislike disruption and do not transplant well.
Although they can survive in partial shade, peonies like full sun, and they flower at their best in an area that receives 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day.
Because of its huge flowers, peonies can become top-heavy in severe winds. Therefore, provide shelter. (If necessary, stakes can be used to hold them up.) Planting too close to trees or bushes will cause peony to compete with them for nutrients, sunlight, and moisture.
Grow peony in rich, wet, humus-rich soil that is deep, fertile, and well-draining. pH in the soil should be neutral.
When to Plant Peonies
As long as they are planted correctly and become established, peony plants require minimal upkeep. However, keep in mind that they do not adapt well to transplanting, so you should consider this when choosing your planting location.
- Plant peony in the fall: in the majority of the United States, in late September or early October, and even later in the fall in Zones 7 and 8. Your planting zone can be found here.
- If you need to move an established plant, the fall is the ideal season because the plant will be dormant.
- About six weeks before the ground freezes, peonies should be planted.
- While planting peonies in the spring is absolutely a possibility, the results aren’t always favorable. They often trail behind plants planted in the fall by roughly a year, according to experts.
How to Plant Peonies
- Peonies are typically offered as divisions of a 3- or 4-year-old plant, bare-root tubers with 3 to 5 eyes (buds).
- Peonies should be placed 3 to 4 feet apart to allow for enough air circulation. The development of disease can be facilitated by stagnant, damp air.
- In a sunny area, dig a generously sized hole that is about 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide. The inclusion of organic matter in the planting hole will improve the soil. Add additional compost to the soil to improve it if it’s sandy or heavy. Add about a cup of bonemeal to the ground. Find out more about soil improvements and getting the soil ready for planting.
- The roots should be positioned in the hole just 2 inches below the soil’s surface, with the root’s eyes facing upward on top of a mound of soil. Avoid planting too deeply! Choose early-blooming species, put them approximately 1 inch deep, and provide some shade in southern states.
- Backfill the hole after that, being careful to prevent soil settlement and a 2-inch root burying. Gently tamp the ground.
- Plant a container-grown peony no deeper than it was when it was in the pot.
- When planting, give everything plenty of water.
How to Care for Peonies
Young peony take time to develop, just like children. In order to establish themselves, blossom, and flourish, they typically require a few years. They eventually leave home on their own, fully grown and adjusted… No, that’s just kids, I suppose.
Peonies benefit from gentle neglect. They don’t require digging and dividing every few years like the majority of perennials do.
- Don’t use any fertilizer. Before planting, till the soil thoroughly while adding compost and a small amount of fertilizer.
- Early summer, after the peonies have flowered and you have deadheaded the blooms, is the ideal time to apply fertilizer (such as bonemeal, compost, or well-rotted manure) to a soil that is deficient in nutrients. Keep fertilizing to a few years at most.
- assist the stems Peonies’ stems, which occasionally are not strong enough to hold their enormous blossoms, are the only part of their structure that may be considered weak. Think of structures that allow the plant to grow through the middle of the support, like three-legged metal peony rings or wire tomato cages.
- Peony blossoms should be deadheaded as soon as they start to fade, cutting to a sturdy leaf so that the stem doesn’t protrude through the foliage. To prevent any infections from overwintering, trim the foliage to the ground in the fall.
- Avoid covering peonies with mulch. For the first winter following planting, you can VERY LOOSELY mulch with pine needles or shredded bark when the winters are bitterly cold. In the spring, get rid of the mulch.
Peonies bloom between late spring and early summer, but by planting a variety of cultivars, you may arrange your garden for a succession of blooms from mid-May to late June. Here are a few options:
- ‘Early Scout’ has red solitary flowers that open incredibly early.
- “Firelight”: very early-blooming, single, pale-pink flowers
- ‘Karl Rosenfield’: double, midseason bloomer with substantial crimson blooms
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Bowl of Cream’
This peony has smooth, fragrant, creamy-white petals on every petal. It features twin blossoms, an inward bend, and a bowl-shaped center. From early in the growing season till the end. 80cm. RHS H6.
She explains, “I usually stick to my favorite peonies, such “Dinner Plate,” “Elsa Sass,” and “Sarah Bernhardt.” ” However, it changes every year. If something fresh and valuable emerges, it will undoubtedly be included.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Pillow Talk’
On sturdy stems with lush, dark-green foliage, the fragrant, lovely powder puff peony flowers are produced freely. 80 cm. Mid-season.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Karl Rosenfield’
With a boss of golden stamens that grows larger as the blooms mature, this peony produces fragrant, bright-magenta double blooms. 80cm. RHS H6.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Auguste Dessert’
A dependable deep rose-pink, semi-double peony with dark yellow stamens, fragrant blooms, and attractive fall leaves. mid- to late-season flowers 90cm. RHS H6.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Nymphe’
Like other solitary peony, its rich pink blossoms have a strong perfume and is a wonderful supply of nectar for bees. late in the year 80cm. USDA 3a-8b, RHS H6.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Mr GF Hemerik’
Peony petals in a deep shade of pink encircle a large, aging cream petaloid dome. an easy to grow peony. Mid-season. 1m. USDA 3a-8b, RHS H6.
Paeonia ‘Coral Charm’
An stunning semi-double peony in coral color. On long, crimson stalks, this peony’s persistent blossoms mature to a mellow peach color. can remain fresh for 10 days when sliced. 85cm. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b, AGM*.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Adolphe Rousseau’
A peony in the middle of the growing season with rich, cerise-red double flowers and yellow stamens. Despite having no aroma, it is constantly covered in blossoms. 95cm.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Miss America’
Semi-double peony blossoms are quite uncommon, and this fragrant cultivar’s sparkling white flowers are especially noteworthy. mid- to early-season. 90cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-8b, AGM.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’
This perfumed double features pure pink petals with a silver edge tint that is one of Claire’s favorites. This late-season peony is a traditional flower for cutting thanks to its lengthy stalks. 1m. AGM. USDA 3a-8b, RHS H6.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Myrtle Gentry’
Another of Claire’s favorites, it has beautiful shape and a wonderful perfume. The huge, double, blush-pink blossoms mature to become white. It is a mid-season flower that lasts a long time in a vase. 90cm.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Bowl of Beauty’
This well-liked Japanese cultivar features ribbon-like, pale-lemon petaloids and bright-pink guard petals. Free-flowering and faintly fragrant. the middle of the season. 80cm. RHS H6. AGM
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Shirley Temple’
This cultivar, which has a faint perfume, was planted by Claire’s mother in a shaded area 20 years ago, and it produces more than 50 blossoms each year. Mid-season. 85cm. RHS H6.
Paeonia ‘Prairie Charm’
The stunning, semi-double, yellow bloom unfolds to show raspberry flares at the base of each petal in a deep cup. The colors of autumn are burnished pewter. 90cm.
Claire’s tips for growing peonies
- The planting hole should be large enough to easily fit the roots and the leaf buds should be no deeper than 2.5 cm below the soil’s surface.
- When the stems of taller varieties are about 15 cm high, support them.
- Feed with bonemeal or ordinary fertilizer in the spring every three years.
- Mulch as far away from the center crown as you can since organic material will scorch the spring buds that are just starting to emerge.
- To prevent illnesses, remove old leaves. Weather that is moist makes peony wilt worse. Infected sections should be thrown away far from the garden if it becomes a problem, or fungicide should be sprayed.
- In particular, provided they are not separated, peonies do not mind being transplanted. When dividing plants, between late October and the end of January, when they are dormant, be sure that each division contains at least three buds.
How long do peony take to grow?
Peonies are the ideal plants for Grow-Through Supports. Early in the spring, install them so that stems can develop through the grid.
First-year blooming peonies are uncommon. Three years are frequently needed before you see a profusion of blossoms. However, as the plants begin to bloom, you may anticipate a lifetime of lovely flowers. Rarely do peony plants need to be divided. Fall is the best season for separating clumps if they grow too big for a place or if you want to share the plant with a friend. Trim the plant’s foliage, then carefully dig it up from the ground. Cut portion of the plant into pieces with a sharp knife, being careful to leave behind ample clumps of roots with at least three to five eyes per clump. Replant the original plant in its original location, being careful not to damage any of the very brittle roots or leave any significant air spaces in the planting hole. Water until you are certain that the earth around the roots has settled and the moisture has reached the bottom of the hole. Plants divided in the fall may not bloom the next spring, but they will resume their typical behavior the following year.
All that a peony needs for health is an annual dose of organic all-purpose fertilizer and a top-dressing of compost. If you mulch your flower beds, make cautious not to get mulch on the peonies’ bases. Mulch causes the plant to act as though it has been planted too deeply and will result in few, if any, blossoms.
The fluffy white center of the Bowl of Beauty peony contrasts attractively with the pink to magenta surrounding petals.
There are several peony types available today, ranging from time-honored ancestral favorites to novel hues (peach, coral, and yellow), intriguing flower shapes (spiders, singles, and semi-doubles), and various heights and blooming periods. Tree peonies, which bloom earlier than herbaceous peonies, have larger flowers, and may grow up to 6 feet tall, might also be something you want to try cultivating.
A special reminder for gardeners in hotter climates: If peonies receive some shade during the hottest portion of the day, the plants will be more resilient and their blooms will stay longer. In warm climates, peonies are questionable and maybe difficult to grow. Consult a reputable local gardener or your nearest garden center to learn if they may be grown in your area.
The ideal types for luring pollinators have just one or two rows of petals.
When should peony be planted?
Although perennials, peonies take time to establish themselves and begin flowering while having a very long lifespan. The majority of peonies flower the second spring following planting, though they may bloom one to three years later. However, your perseverance will be rewarded for a very long time with fluffy, fragrant flowers and lovely leaves. Peonies are relatively low-maintenance and trouble-free perennials once they are established. Planting peonies correctly and in a location where they will thrive are essential to their success.
Fall is the best season to plant peony, with at least six weeks to go before the ground freezes. Peonies can also be planted in the spring, but it might take them a little while longer to start blooming.
The majority of peonies grow in full sun, which is defined as 6 to 8 hours of daily direct sunlight.
Peonies, however, favor direct morning light over direct afternoon light in southern latitudes. Peonies struggle in poorly drained soils, just like many other perennials. They favor nutrient-rich, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter and has a pH that is neutral or just barely alkaline. You can improve your soil with compost or well-rotted manure if it isn’t in the best condition. The plants can grow rather top heavy with flowers throughout the blossoming season, therefore it’s important to protect them from high winds even though peonies prefer adequate air circulation. Avoid placing peony too close to plants that compete with them for light and nutrients, such as trees and bushes.
Peonies fit easily into perennial gardens and landscapes due to their adaptability. In the flower garden, along a sidewalk, or as a tiny floral hedge, you can plant a specimen. Choose a selection of early, mid-season, and late season kinds if you want to lengthen the peony season and enjoy blooms for up to six weeks. Remember to leave 24-36 inches between most peonies when organizing your plantings.
Dig a hole for Itoh and herbaceous peonies that will enable you to extend the roots out without bending them. Plant the fleshy peony roots with the eyes no deeper than one or two inches. Peonies might not bloom if they are planted too deeply or too shallowly. Around the roots, tamp down the earth. Water wisely. Over the winter, cover with a 2 layer thin layer of loose mulch, and then remove the mulch in the spring. We also advise using a hoop-style stake to stake your peony at planting time because the blossoms can become extremely heavy and cause the stems to break.