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How to Plant and Grow Peonies

pink peony flowers growing on a plant
Image Credit:
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Paeonia spp.
Grown as
Perennial
USDA Zones
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Toxicity
Toxic to Dogs and Cats
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
1–3 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Flower Color
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Yellow
Special Features
Cut Flower
Fragrant
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Clay Soil Tolerant
Cold Hardy
Plant Type
Flowers
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

There’s nothing quite like a peony in full bloom: those big, fluffy flowers look like they were made for daydreams and wedding bouquets. Whether you’re wooed by their romantic petals, heavenly scent, or the fact that they can live longer than most humans (seriously!), peonies are a gardener’s dream come true. 

In this guide, we’ll show you how to grow peonies that come back stronger each year, plus where to plant them, how to extend their bloom season, and why they’re the floral royalty of any garden bed.

Peonies are flowering perennials best planted in autumn for those outrageously beautiful flowers that bloom from spring to summer. They make magnificent cut flowers and also bear lovely foliage that stays green. 

Planting

Where to Plant Peonies

Peonies make fine sentinels lining walkways or a lovely low hedge. After their 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. It is 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.

  • Peonies are not too fussy, but choose your location wisely as they resent disturbance and do not transplant well.
  • 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. In southern states, provide some shade.
  • 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.
  • When growing peonies, plant in deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist soil that drains well. The soil pH should be neutral.
  • They are cold hardy, so any place you need an overcoat makes them happiest—they require a cold period for bud formation, a frustration to some southern gardeners.

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 6 weeks before the ground freezes.
  • Although it’s certainly possible to plant peonies in the spring, spring-planted peonies 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-draining 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 bone meal 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.

Pink Peony flowers

Growing

When Is Peony Season? When Do Peonies Bloom?

Peonies bloom from late spring through early summer, depending on your location and the variety of peonies you’re growing.

Many nurseries offer early, midseason, and late-blooming varieties, allowing you to extend 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 for growing peonies are simple: provide full sun and well-draining soil. Peonies even relish cold winters because they need chilling for bud formation.

How to Care for Peonies

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, apply fertilizer (bonemeal, compost, or well-rotted manure) in 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’s their stems, which are sometimes not strong enough to support their gigantic blossoms. Consider 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. 

Fall Peony Care

  • After peony leaves begin to fade, side-dress plants with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer; avoid fertilizing with high nitrogen.
  • After frost, the foliage will die back completely. Cut the plant to the ground in the fall to avoid overwintering diseases.
  • Don’t smother peonies with mulch. Where cold temperatures are severe, for the first winter after planting, mulch VERY loosely with pine needles or shredded bark. Remove mulch in the spring.

Dividing Peonies

While peonies don’t require regular division like some perennials, fall is the best time to divide or transplant them, especially if your plants have become too large, are producing fewer blooms, or you simply want to share them with friends. Begin by cutting back the foliage to just an inch or two above the ground. Then, using a spade or garden fork, carefully dig a wide circle around the root system to avoid damaging the thick, tuberous roots.

Once you’ve gently lifted the plant from the soil, brush or wash off the dirt so you can clearly see the root structure, the most important part to identify is the “eyes”—these are the small, pink or white growing buds that resemble the eyes of a potato. Each healthy division should contain at least 3 to 5 eyes and a good portion of strong roots to support new growth. Fewer than three eyes may delay blooming by a few years.

When replanting, choose a location with full sun and well-draining soil. Plant the peony divisions so that the eyes sit no more than 1 to 2 inches below the surface. Planting too deep is a common reason why peonies fail to bloom. Water thoroughly after planting and mulch lightly to protect the roots over winter.

Harvesting

Keeping Peony Flowers in a Vase

Peonies make wonderful cut flowers and last more than a week in a vase. For best results, cut long stems in the morning when the buds are still fairly tight; look for the “marshmallow” stage, when buds are soft but not fully open. Use clean, sharp pruners and snip just above a set of healthy leaves to encourage continued growth on the plant.

To store cut peonies for later use, wrap the stems in a damp paper towel and place them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They can be stored this way for several days to even weeks. When you’re ready to use them, recut the stem ends at an angle under running water or submerged in water. Then, place them in a clean vase filled with lukewarm water to help the blooms rehydrate and open fully.

Keep your vase in a cool spot out of direct sunlight and change the water every couple of days to prolong the blooms’ beauty. See more tips on keeping cut flowers alive longer.

Peony in pink
Peony flowers are some of the most beautiful additions to your garden!

Pests and Problems

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:

FAQ

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!

Ants on peony bud
Ants often crawl all over peony flowers—but they are actually helping to protect them!

Why are my peonies not blooming?

There are a few reasons why your peonies fail to bloom. If it is planted too deep (the eyes should only be about 2 inches below the soil), it will lead to beautiful foliage but very few flower buds. Depending on your fertilizing schedule, it may be receiving too much or too little fertilizer. Also, remember not to remove the foliage too early in the season. Wait for the foliage to die back naturally before removing it after the first frost. 

Peonies need a certain amount of cold weather in the winter to set buds and to flower. If you live in a warmer location, your peonies may be getting just enough cold weather to produce the buds, but not enough to make them flower. 

Bud blast can also be the cause since it results in buds turning brown and shriveling up. The best thing to do is to make sure it has the ideal growing environment in terms of sun, fertilizer, cold winter temps, and proper planting depth.

Can I plant the seed pods on my peonies?

The pods that remain on your peonies will contain seeds. You can collect the seeds when the pods turn dark brown and slightly crack open. To make sure that you don’t lose seeds to birds or weather, tie nylon or small mesh bags around maturing seed pods before they split open to catch any seeds that may fall. Ripe seeds can be planted immediately after collection. 

Peony seeds require a warm/cold cycle to produce their first true leaves in the spring. In nature, seeds are dispersed on warm late summer to autumn days and quickly germinate. By winter, they form small roots. They are then dormant during the winter before emerging in the spring. Press peony seeds into the ground at no more than a 1/2 inch depth. Then cover with an inch of wood chips to provide protection. 

You can certainly dry and save seeds for future planting, but dry seed takes longer to hydrate than fresh seed, and dormancy is more difficult to break.

 Can I grow peonies indoors?

Yes, you can, although they are best grown outdoors. Inside, you’ll need to provide enough light (about 6 to 8 hours); if you don’t have enough natural daylight, a grow light can help. It is also necessary to give them a period of cold (about 3 to 6 weeks, depending on variety, of temperatures between 32 and 40 degrees F) over winter, which is needed for flowering. If you live in a cold climate, this can sometimes be done by leaving the pot in a cool garage or shed, with the top of the soil covered with straw to protect the roots once plants are dormant; remove the straw at the first sign of growth in spring. 

Select a variety of peony that is shorter (not those that can grow to 4 to 6 feet, for example); if you live in a warm climate, choose a variety that does not need as long a period of cold (aka “chilling hours”) over winter. Plant in fall or spring. Choose a heavy pot (ideally, not terracotta) that is about 18 to 24 inches wide and deep, with drainage holes, and fill with rich, well-draining potting soil. Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy; when plants are established, you can let the soil dry out a tiny bit before watering deeply.

How long will it take my peonies to bloom?

Peonies typically take 2 to 3 years to bloom after planting, especially if planted from bare roots. The first year is focused on establishing strong roots, and blooms are usually sparse or absent. By the second or third year, you’ll see more consistent and fuller flowering.

Types

In the 1930s and 1940s, plant catalogs listed only three peony choices: white, crimson, and rose pink. Today, thousands of varieties are available.

There are six main peony flower types: anemone, single, Japanese, semidouble, 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. 

a large planting of pink peony flowers
There are six different types of peony flowers.

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 various varieties. Here are some choices:

  • Anemone (an advanced Japanese form)—‘Laura Dessert’: cream/pale lemon to white; strong fragrance; early-season
  • Single (one row of petals)—‘Sparkling Star’: deep pink; early- to midseason
  • Japanese (decorative centers)—‘Carrara’: white, with soft yellow centers; fragrant; midseason
  • Semidouble (five or more guard petals and prominent centers)—‘Pink Hawaiian Coral’: pink to coral rose form; slight fragrance; early-season
  • Double (large petals, needs support)—‘Candy Stripe’: white, with red streaks; slight fragrance; mid- to late-season
  • Bomb (large, like a scoop of petals)—‘Angel Cheeks’: soft pink; slight fragrance; midseason
  • Consider, too, the Itoh peony: Named after its developer, Japanese botanist Dr. Toichi Itoh (d. 1956), this flower is a cross between a herbaceous (bush) peony and a tree peony. Its large single, semidouble, and double blooms appear later in the season and last longer than traditional peonies.

Wit and Wisdom

  • After at least 2,000 years of cultivation and breeding in China, the ornamental peony was introduced to Europe and America in about 1800.
  • Two peony species are native to North America. Brown’s, aka western, peony ranges from California to Montana, and the California peony is found along the Pacific coast of that state.
  • The peony is the state flower of Indiana.
  • 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 a garnish for lemonade and iced tea. Read more about edible flowers!
  • Once settled in the garden, peony plants can be content for generations. Some have been known to thrive for a century!

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

Flowers

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Denise Mcinerney</span> Thu, 05/15/2014 - 10:28
Before we sold Mom's house, I dug up two peonies from her garden that she'd planted more than 50 years ago and transplanted them to my garden. They sulked for the first two years (didn't flower) and put out a few small blooms in year three. Now in year four, they are covered with blossoms and make me think of my Mom every time I see them. We live in Northern Virginia. Good luck to you!
<span>Victoriaa</span> Sat, 05/10/2014 - 13:12
I've had two peonies -- Sarah Bernhardt and Festiva Maxima -- in place in my North Texas garden in a raised bed for six years. The first three years, there were beautiful blooms in early Spring. The last three years there have been no blooms at all. I've read so much about peonies not blooming and varying issues regarding the need for cold winters or not. We've had both in the last three years...cold, freezing winters and mild winters. Still, no blooms the last three years. We planted the bulbs less than 2" under the soil. We try not to mess with them as I've read they are hardy. The plants always flourish when I think they won't, but no blooms still. What else can we try? I'm considering replacing with new peony plants because I love the blooms and my friend in Arkansas has a huge bush growing and blooming profusely in her forested yard with no issues. Ours has morning and early afternoon sun, then partial shade. They are on a sprinkler system, but we don't overwater. Any other things we might try to get them to bloom?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 05/12/2014 - 16:16
The soil around the peony may have settled and buried the root too deep. The root should not be deeper than 2 inches below the surface. You can carefully lift the plant with a spade and add some soil and compost under the root ball to lift it up.
<span>Jeff From Michigan</span> Mon, 07/28/2014 - 00:03
Better to error on the shallow side. Some of my peony tubers can be seen at the surface and still sprout stems fine.
<span>Candice Reis</span> Thu, 05/08/2014 - 09:58
Can peonies live in large pots their whole lives? My mother-in-law gave me 3 pink peony plants when we got engaged in 2012. The first year no blooms, the second year we had 1 bloom, this year we had 3 on plant A, 5 on plant B, and 4 on plant C, so 12 in all. I am so excited about finally having these gorgeous babies explode! We have found a home and are planning on staying here for at least 10 years, but I'm hesitant to place them in the ground. Due to the sentimental value these flowers have, being that they bloom 2 weeks before our Anniversary (May 18th)and I also used peonies in my wedding bouquet, I don't ever want to loose them! So my question is can they live in these large pots forever?? They have a 3" drainage opening on each side at the bottom and are about 3ft in diameter. Please help!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 05/09/2014 - 15:47

Your peonies can grow in pots. Make sure to add compost and fertilizer to the soil each season. Older, larger peonies have very large root systems and need much deeper pots than other container plants. Transplant the peonies into big deep pots after a couple of years.

 <span>Bobbi Taylor</span> Wed, 05/07/2014 - 22:09
I live in San Antonio tax, bought a peony at a flea market in Arkansas last year. We had a cold winter and it is coming back great. No blooms yet. I will try the ice thing next year and see what happens.
<span>Dandy Borges</span> Tue, 05/06/2014 - 17:11
My peony gets full of buds, but only about 1 partially opens. The rest turn brown and die. Please help
<span>Donavon Dellinger</span> Thu, 05/08/2014 - 13:40
my peonies won't bloom, they turn black and die. Why? Thanks
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 05/09/2014 - 15:39

Add some compost and bonemeal to the soil. The soil around the peony may also have settled and buried the root too deep. The root should not be deeper than 2 inches below the surface. You can carefully lift the plant with a spade and add some soil and compost under the root ball to lift it up.