How To Grow Peony

Hands down our favorite flower on the farm! And they will make the perfect perennial flower to join your landscape.

We have thousands of peony plants on the farm. An obsession? Maybe. But these flowers get better every single year. Let’s go over how to grow and care for your peony. Especially in our area of western North Carolina.

Peony are long lived perennials. You plant these once and your children’s children should be enjoying those same peony! And they get better and better with age!

Types of Peonies

There are three main kinds:

1. Herbaceous peonies — die back to the ground each winter (which is primarily what we grow).

2. Tree peonies — woody stems that stay above ground year-round. (We don’t grow any of these)

3. Intersectional (Itoh) peonies — hybrids of the two; heat-tolerant and excellent for southern gardens. (But are more expensive and take longer to establish)

We are just going to talk about herbaceous for now.

So let’s get into a little how to grow:

First off they do best in full sun and well draining soil. They can also grow just fine in part shade but the amount of sun impacts the amount of blooms you’ll get per plant. More sun = more blooms.

The best time to plant is either bare root in the fall or potted plants in the spring. We currently do not offer bare root plants. But when planting a potted plant you dig a hole the exact size of the pot. You want to be very careful not to plant peony too deep or that will effect their blooming ability. Generally you are planting at the same level they are in the pot. Peony plants buried too deep will cause them not to bloom! And try not to disrupt the roots as you plant.

You may need to water them the first year they are planted if we are in a dry spell but after they’re established they are drought tolerant although watering them during dry spells can be beneficial for them as they set their flower buds the previous year.

You can fertilize if desired. We typically don’t because of the amount we have but it certainly won’t hurt them! They are not heavy feeders so I’d recommend lightly right as the plants start emerging in the early spring and once more lightly in the summer after their flowers have finished.

Let’s talk now a little about their maintenance. When they’re in full bloom those flowers can get heavy, especially after a rain. If you want your peony blooms to be pretty on the plant you may want to stake the plant. And after the blooms are spent it is best to deadhead the flowers. You do not want the plant to put energy into producing seeds. Cut those flowers off and let the plant put its focus into growing more flowers next year! Seed grown peony can take over 5 years to set a bloom and they’re not true to variety, meaning who knows what you’ll get from that seed!

Did you know ants are actually good for peony? They have a symbolic relationship. The ants love the sweet nectar peony produce and the ants actually help fight off other bugs that may cause damage to our precious peony buds. So leave the ants alone. Once the peony are done blooming the ants magically disappear.

Peony are shifting to energy storage after the flower blooms. And you want to leave the leaves alone all summer long. Underneath the ground they are forming their buds for the next season. It is best to wait till the first frost before removing these leaves. And cut them down to the bare ground. They will be dormant all winter. If you need to move peony or want to divide this is the best time to do so!!

Peony also can get diseases especially if we’re in a wet spring. If you notice black spots it’s best to cut the infected leaves back and dispose of them entirely. You don’t want to leave infected leaves near the plant as it can spread more easily next year because of them!