The sturdy peony plant prefers full light, soil that is pH neutral and well-draining, as well as a deep cold snap every year to aid in springtime regeneration. They can bloom from spring through early summer, with hefty, spectacular, feathery blooms in shades of pink, red, peach, and white, depending on the type you pick.
Peonies don’t require digging up and dividing as they grow and mature, unlike other perennials.
When to Plant Peonies
Before the first severe frost in the late fall is the best time to plant peony tubers. We advise planting tubers rather than transplanting an established plant because peonies do not do well when moved.
When should peony be planted?
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.
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.
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
Does New England have a peony culture?
There are many things you can do to get your yard ready for a vibrant spring as the miserable winter drags on in New England. The warm months are not the only time to garden. In truth, when their seeds, bulbs, and tubers are sown soon after the final winter frost, a number of well-known flower kinds flourish. These flower kinds, from hanging plants to garden beds, can revive your house and yard after a long winter.
Lilies
Elegant lilies come in a range of hues, from rich burgundies to oranges with tiger stripes. When the ground is workable and defrosted in the early spring, their perennial bulbs can be planted. Although the flowers of these six-pointed star blossoms may appear fragile, they are actually incredibly resilient and simple to grow. Lilies can produce stunning flowers during the majority of the warm season from the beginning of the summer until the end of the season.
Excellent lily varieties are as follows:
- Timber Lily
- Spring Lily
- Ontario Lily
Dahlias
Dahlias used as ornaments provide a distinctive touch to any house. Your garden’s diversity will be enhanced by the unique characteristics of each species, from the pompom petals to the plate-sized flower heads. Around eight weeks after being planted, these tubers start to blossom. They can be planted in the later spring, between May and June. If given partial to full sun and adequate drainage, perennials also come back year after year.
Among the top dahlia varieties are:
- Kelvin Dahlia Floodlight
- The Dahlia Waltz Mathilda
- Cornell, Dahlia
Ranunculus
Ranunculus are feminine flowers that can be sown in late winter and early spring, among other times of the year. Their warm hues and paper-thin petals make for stunning displays in beds, hanging pots, and cut vases. Ranunculuses can be cut for a variety of occasions, including Mother’s Day and Easter, and do best in full sun and soil with good drainage.
Excellent kinds of ranunculus include:
- Runnera veneris
- Picotee Purple Ranunculus
- Ranunculus Commendation
Begonia
Begonias make for an attractive indoor houseplant or outdoor variety with their deep jade foliage and coral blossoms. They prefer warm soil that is protected from oncoming freezes because they are a more sensitive spring flower. Despite the fact that they are physiologically perennials, their tenderness frequently causes them to be planted as annuals with a one-season lifespan. It’s even possible to uproot their tubers and store them for the winter.
Among the top begonia varieties are:
- Buttercup Begonia in bloom
- Begonia Shine Bright White
- Joy Yellow Begonia nonstop
Anemone
The finely layered petals and deep purple carpels of many types of anemones, often known as “Aphrodite’s flower, are what make them a popular addition to wildflower gardens and bouquets. Their delicate petal’s dark color serves as a counterpoint to the nearby blooms’ brighter hues. Although perennial species are less frost hardy, they are pest-resistant.
Among the best anemone varieties are:
- Swan Dreaming of Anemone
- Hadspen Plenty Anemone
- Honorine Nemon Jobert
Viola
The ornamental bedding surrounding homes and gardens is frequently made up of these early spring blooms. The tiny viola blooms have an unusual petal pattern and paint-splatter design and come in a wide range of hues, from orange to purple-yellow patterns. There are annual and perennial viola species, however planting annual viola seeds is more common in New England gardens.
Excellent viola varieties are as follows:
- Violet Northern Lights
- Purple Penny Picotee Viola
- adorably Viola
Peony
Peonies are a popular in New England due to their hardiness and beautiful blooms, which are frequently identified by their ruffled pink hue. While it may take them three to five years to produce lovely blossoms, a perennial bush can live for more than a century with the right careful care! Peonies prefer well-drained soil and direct sunlight but require little upkeep from their keepers. It is possible to plant a variety of early and late flowering species together to provide flowers over several seasons.
Excellent types of peonies include:
- The primrose peony
- Peony Coral Charm
- Peony of the Duchess of Nemours
Geranium
Geraniums are a beautiful perennial plant to sow in pots and gardens equally after the final winter hard frost. Originally from South Africa, these fragrant flowers are now widely grown as hanging and indoor plants all throughout the country. They have a variety of flower clusters, but the most common ones are red, hot pink, and white. Geraniums can bloom from spring until the first frost with enough sunlight, water, and drainage.
Among the top geranium varieties are:
- Infusion Blue Geranium
- Geranium tango
- Geranium Cranesbill
Snapdragon
The annual snapdragon’s colorful stalks can bring something special to any bed or garden. They are also known as “dragon flowers” because, when pressed, their blossoms resemble a gaping dragon mouth. Before the final winter frost, their seeds can be planted indoors and moved outside. Snapdragons thrive in full to partial sun and milder temperatures, but require substantially more watering than other flower kinds.
Excellent types of snapdragon include:
- Tutti Frutti Qualcomm
- Apple blossom twined with Snapdragon
- Snapdragon Angelonia
Your garden will thrive throughout summer and into the fall if you grow a variety of resilient and lovely spring flower species. Even though January can seem like an odd time to start planning your garden and beds, this is the ideal time to get ready for your warm-season blooming.
Can peony be grown in the Northeast?
Peonies (Paeonia spp. and cvs., Zones 3-8) are a garden’s most valuable addition. They have an extremely long lifespan and are frequently passed down from one generation to the next. As long as you live in your house, a peony plant will produce cut flowers and fragrance once it is established. My grandparents planted my peony garden (shown above) in the 1920s, and it still yields tons of blossoms every June.
The three types of peony
Herbaceous peonies are the most prevalent type of peony. The majority of us picture these plants as the traditional, vintage peonies that may be purchased from florists or cut-flower farms. These plants, which are frequently highly aromatic, die back to the ground each fall.
Tree peonies: For those of us gardening in the Northeast, the majority of tree peony (P. suffruticosa, Zones 48) types are a little more delicate. The majority are thought to be hardy only to Zone 6, but I dare to plant a few in a protected area because, once they are established, they frequently make it to Zone 5. These Asiatic plants, which are not true trees, develop persistent woody stems that progressively get taller every year. After mild winters, each branch’s end blooms with flowers.
Itoh hybrids: The third category is quite recent.
Dr. Itoh first produced and created the intersectional, or Itoh, hybrids in the late 1960s. The nicest herbaceous and tree peony can be found in Itohs. They produce enormous flowers with the warmer color palette of tree peonies and are typically very hardy (the plants die back entirely to the ground like herbaceous peonies). Although Itoh peonies are expensive, I think they are a great investment. The leaf is already quite lovely and, up until the first fall frost, it will often be as straight and showy as any hydrangea (Hydrangea spp. and cvs., Zones 49) or other ornamental shrub.
Choosing the perfect spot
Peonies are one of those plants that detest being relocated, but they require little maintenance. Planting plants and leaving them alone is frequently the best advise. Nevertheless, creating a bed with good soil and placing the peonies where big trees won’t overly shadow it require the most of the work involved in peony culture.
Put peonies in a sunny area to grow (a few hours of shade is OK). Peonies prefer to have a lot of space, and they thrive in an area that is empty. Future blooms will be impacted by any competition close to the roots. As a result, unless you have the ability to keep other plants farther away, they aren’t the ideal option for perennial borders. Many people who enjoy peonies arrange the flowers in rows or grids in a special bed. Apply shredded wood bark sparingly once a year, or better yet, use a combination of composted manure and bark mulch. Give peonies plenty of space and keep no plants closer than 24 inches apart from other perennials if you decide to put them close to one another.
Maintenance is easy
Continuous care is easy. In the spring, peonies can benefit from mulch and compost in addition to fertilizer. Many peony growers use a bulb fertilizer; anything low in nitrogen but higher in potassium and phosphorus, such as a 5-10-10, applied once in late winter to help develop roots will work. Balanced feeders (such a 10-10-10 or a natural, organic application of leaf mold) are also ideal. Usually, any granular, slow-releasing bone meal or blood meal fertilizer will work for bulbs. Other than that, a quick cleanup in late autumn or the spring afterward to remove dead stems is frequently sufficient.
However, staking can be the most difficult task because the weight of the enormous blossoms can and will cause them to topple over. Metal peony rings can be used and placed all around plants as they emerge. Simple bamboo canes and string wrapped gently over the entire clump are other options. While there are many urban legends about ants opening flower buds, the truth is that they are merely savoring the wonderful fluid released just before flowers open.
Finding the perfect variety
Although peony plants in pots are available at nurseries in the spring, bareroot peonies are often planted in the fall when peony crowns are shipped by specialized nurseries. Either option works, though mail order is frequently a good place to find newer or more unusual types. You’re seeking your new favorite peony. Look into the following sources: