Long-lasting, low-maintenance, and beautiful perennials with spring blooms are peonies.
Do peony require a lot of upkeep?
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
Do peony require little upkeep?
Hardy plants include peonies. Most U.S. states have peony varieties growing there. These easy-to-care-for perennial flowers adore the sun and can easily withstand six or more hours each day. Peonies are some of the biggest, loveliest, and best-smelling blooms on this list, despite their laid-back demeanor. A vase filled with a few flowers looks lovely.
Are peony challenging to maintain?
I’ve long been in love with peonies, including herbaceous, intersectional, and tree varieties. I adore their classic elegance, vibrant colors, stunning flowers, and, of course, exuberant scent. Peonies belong in every garden, and every gardener should incorporate them.
Why grow peonies?
Peonies have a rather brief flowering season, which discourages many people from cultivating them. They may believe that there are more cost-effective and colorful plants available, yet when in bloom, peonies are incomparable.
Peonies are regarded by many gardeners as being a challenging plant to grow. The peony blossom is actually a fantastic low maintenance plant, ideal for both inexperienced and seasoned gardeners.
The peony bloom is astounding in its sheer size. Many intersectional peonies, also known as Itoh peonies (a cross between herbaceous and tree peonies), produce blossoms the size of dinner plates in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, pink, and purple. Beautiful single, semi-double, and double flowers are available.
Although some are more fragrant than others, most peony are fragrant. For instance, the lovely double white blossom Paeonia lactiflora ‘Duchesse de Nemours’ AGM has a cream center and the most delicious scent. Paeonia lactiflora ‘Catharina Fontijn’ is one of my favorites. It features delicate blush blossoms that give off a lovely but potent fragrance.
So the peony has fragrant, magnificent, and eye-catching blossoms. What else can you get from this plant? Contrary to the widely believed belief that peonies are delicate and difficult to manage, they are actually very hardy and simple to grow. For a while, they will live contentedly in a reasonably large container, but ultimately they will be happier in the ground.
What are the 3 rules for growing perfect peonies?
With peony, there are a few things to keep in mind, but if you do them correctly, you’ll enjoy decades of hassle-free gardening and the most exquisite display of color and perfume that just gets better with time.
Don’t dig deep
Do not bury your peonies too deeply. Less than 2.5 cm below the surface is the maximum depth at which the tuberous roots may be buried. Some intersectional peonies, like “Bartzella” AGM or “Julia Rose,” have finely cut leaves that become scarlet red in the spring and autumn, while many herbaceous or garden peonies have strong red stems and light green soft foliage, but they simply will not flower if they are planted any deeper.
If a peony in your yard isn’t blooming, it’s usually because you planted it too deeply or you meticulously mulched the borders, which resulted in burying it. Simply wait until the fall and then lift your peony and replant it at the proper depth, being careful not to damage the buds on the roots.
Sun’s out, peonies out
Your peony should be planted in a sunny area. Even while many types, including Paeonia lactiflora ‘White Wings,’ can handle moderate shade, if your peony bloom is in excessive shade, it won’t flower as well.
Drain well
Put your peony on soil that is rich and well-draining. These flowers normally don’t care too much about the soil and do well in free-draining chalky or clay soils. In the winter, they dislike sitting in water.
You can see that the guidelines primarily concern planting your peony. Your peony will be happy to be left alone once it has been planted. In actuality, you most likely don’t need to feed your peony if you have rich, nutritious soil.
A balanced, all-purpose fertilizer like Growmore applied in the spring should work if your soil isn’t the best. In order to prevent peony wilt, it is also a good idea to trim back and remove the dead leaves in the autumn.
Bonus peony growing tips
Peonies are dependable garden performers since they require little upkeep. They won’t overgrow your garden like triffids; most of them will only reach heights of 80 to 90 cm and widths of 60 to 80 cm. They disappear during the winter and reappear in the spring to continue to delight you (this does not apply to tree peonies, whose woody stems are present all year).
Generally speaking, they do not actually suffer from illnesses and pests, and once established, they require minimal maintenance. In fact, deer and rabbits don’t bother them either, which makes them perfect for gardens in rural areas.
Let’s dispel a different misconception about peony flowers while we’re talking about them, which is that they dislike being relocated. The plants should be carefully lifted in the fall and replanted or divided, subject to regulation number 1 (above). Do not overwater them if you are putting them in a container and keep 3-5 buds on each piece of divided root. That’s how simple it is.
You must be patient since peonies need time to mature. Even though it would seem alluring to buy a smaller, less expensive plant and wait for it to develop, my recommendation is to select a well-established peony that is at least 3-5 years old or more in order to guarantee success.
How should a peony be cared for?
These enormous plants, which bloom lavishly in May and June, are a must-have for every garden. Herbaceous peonies are true perennials that can live for about fifty years and are more stunning with age. Peonies are simple to grow and will provide you with armfuls of cut flowers as well as a magnificent landscape display. They are excellent specimen plants, get along well with other perennials in the yard, and work well as path or driveway borders. There are kinds that bloom early, mid, and late and some of them have scented blooms to lengthen the flowering season. Zones 3 to 8 are suitable for growing peonies; in the South, Alabama is where they will bloom, but Zone 8’s cooler regions seem to be their limit. For the best results, southern gardeners should select early-flowering singles.
Light/Watering: Herbaceous peonies should be grown in full sun, with the exception of the hottest regions of the West and the South, where afternoon shadow is preferred and will prolong the life of the blossoms on the plant. It is advised to give plants an inch of water per week during the growing season.
pH and Fertilizer: An organically rich, well-drained soil is ideal. Add a few handfuls of calcitic lime while planting if your soil is quite acidic. In the North, place the roots with the eyes (the pink or white buds at the top of the roots) pointing up, while in the South, place the roots with the eyes pointing down. (Note: Plants may not blossom if the eyes are positioned deeper than is suggested. Mulch should not be applied over the crowns due to this.) It’s normal for plants to take a few years to establish themselves and blossom profusely, so don’t be startled if there are few or no flowers the first spring after planting. No extra fertilizing is required; peonies react nicely to an annual sidedressing of one inch of aged manure or compost. To stop their blossoms from falling into the dirt after a thunderstorm, many Peonies, especially the double-flowered kinds, must be staked. As soon as fresh growth starts to appear in the early spring, install the supports.
Pests and diseases: Herbaceous peonies are rarely bothered by insect pests, but a fungus called botrytis can be a concern, particularly during extremely rainy seasons. Peony stems either wilt or fall over as a result of developing cankers, becoming black at the base, or both. The leaves may have patches of black or brown color, and the buds may turn brown and not open. These issues can be avoided or resolved in the garden with proper culture and cleanliness. Don’t crowd the plants because they require proper drainage and air circulation. At the first sign of disease, remove any infected foliage. Deadhead regularly, removing all flower parts and petals from the garden. After a deadly frost in the fall, remove all foliage that is just below the soil and remove it together with any other debris from the area; do not compost. Add a thin layer of sand around the plants and crowns if botrytis was present in the spring before, and then spray newly developing shoots with Bordeaux mix or lime sulfur as directed on the label. Fungal spores overwinter at the base of the plants, where they are then sprayed onto the young shoots by spring rains. Sand-covering the soil and clearing away any waste and outdated vegetation can help avoid reinfection.
There may also be phytophthora, a different blight that is difficult to distinguish from other blights. If you think your plant may have phytophthora, bring a sample to your local USDA Cooperative Extension Service agent or a specialist. Because this disease usually kills the plant, affected plants should be dug up, killed, and the soil restored before new plants are planted.
In the summer, powdery mildew can affect peonies. Despite covering the leaves in varied degrees, the white, powdery mildew fungus appears to have little impact on the plant’s vitality. By planting in full sun and ensuring enough airflow around the plants, this can be prevented or at least lessened.
Peonies are attractive with many other perennials and bloom with roses and clematis; just make sure to provide space around the plants for air circulation. Peonies with white flowers are captivating against an evergreen backdrop. The scarlet stems of developing Herbaceous Peonies are beautifully contrasted with spring-flowering bulbs like Crocus vernus or Scilla siberica.
Reflowering: Deadheading is helpful since many kinds produce a number of side buds that will blossom after the terminal bloom flowers. Cut the stem beneath the previous bloom when each flower has completed blooming, but leave the foliage uncut. Remove the side buds as they form and just leave the terminal bud if you want flowers that are exhibition-size.
Generally speaking, Herbaceous Peonies do not require division, and some people dislike it. However, before replanting an established plant, you must divide it if you must transfer it. Do this in the fall, after the foliage has totally withered away. The young plants typically take a few years to flower, and each division ought to have three to five eyes.
End-of-Season Care: To prevent pests from overwintering, Herbaceous Peonies’ foliage should be pruned back in the fall and removed from the area. After the ground freezes, mulch new plants with salt marsh hay or evergreen boughs.
If spring rains don’t do it for you, water crops thoroughly in the early spring. Apply aged manure or compost on the sides of plants. If there was botrytis blight the season before, spray young shoots with Bordeaux mix or lime sulphur and cover the ground around the plant with a thin (quarter-inch) layer of sand. Place stakes or other supports right away.
Mid-Spring: Keep an eye out for botrytis blight symptoms and treat accordingly, removing any affected tissue as away. Train while plants are growing through plant supports. If you want flowers that are exhibition-size, remove the side buds.
Late Spring: Deadhead peonies diligently, cleaning the garden of any petals or blossoms that have fallen.
Fall: Trim Herbaceous Peony stems to the soil’s surface and remove them from the area. If required, dig and divide plants right away. After the ground freezes, mulch newly planted areas with evergreen boughs or salt marsh hay.