Peonies have gorgeous, voluptuous blooms at the peak of Spring that bring a stunning floral display to the garden and vase!
Peonies have so much to offer the home gardener! These hardy perennial plants are long-lived, low-maintenance, and relatively fast-growing in full sun or light shade. Peonies are prized by florists as one of the most beautiful Spring florals, and one of my florist friends cheekily refers to them “your girlfriend’s favorite flower”!
Ultimately Peonies make phenomenal cut flowers for anyone who wants to bring their own garden flowers indoors. They are fragrant, lasting, and fabulously flamboyant and feminine flowers. On top of all that, Peonies attract butterflies and have the added bonus of being deer and rabbit resistant!
The Best Garden Peonies to Grow for Cut Flowers
Peonies for homegrown cut flowers fall into two main categories—Herbaceous Peonies and Itoh Peonies. Tree Peonies are larger, woodier, and rarer, and if you happen to inherit one with a garden, consider yourself extremely lucky!
When harvesting Peonies for cut flowers, cut their stems down at the base or at a leaf node. Harvest them when the buds have cracked open and the petals are visible—if you give them a light squeeze, they should feel a bit like a squishy marshmallow! If harvested too soon, the buds may fail to open, and harvesting too late just means you won’t be able to enjoy them in the vase quite as long. For more tips about growing your own cut flowers, check out our Backyard Bouquets blog!
Herbaceous and Itoh Peonies are fantastic in Traditional, Cottage, and Bohemian Landscapes and look great when co-planted with other Springtime perennials, Roses, or evergreen shrubs. The best selection of Itoh and Herbaceous Peonies at garden centers can be found in April and May before and during their bloom season.
Herbaceous Peonies
Herbaceous Peonies have been adored by gardeners for generations, and no wonder! These phenomenally easy garden plants are hardy from Zones 3–8, and they go completely dormant and die back to the ground in the Fall and Winter. In Spring, rich burgundy colored foliage emerges from bare ground and looks almost otherworldly, like hands coming up out of the soil. Peony plants grow quickly each Spring to about 2–3 feet tall with large, showy flowers at the ends of almost every stem, often blooming near Mother’s Day.
Herbaceous Peony flowers may be frilly doubles, semi-double, or singles, and come in a range of colors from cool, buttery white to coral and through to intense magenta depending on the cultivar. Best of all, many varieties of herbaceous peonies are also very fragrant! Though herbaceous peonies have a relatively short flowering time, they are unmatched for their glorious display.
Herbaceous Peony blossoms can be heavy and may weigh down the stems so it is best to provide a peony cage, ring, or other support. Be sure to get supports in place early in Spring, as soon as new growth emerges, before stems have a chance to flop. This way, the plant grows up through the support naturally, concealing the support beneath the foliage.
Our Favorite Herbaceous Peonies
- Alertie – Fluffy, baby pink double flowers appear ruffled with a raspberry-colored eye in the center and possess a sweet fragrance.
- Coral Charm Peony – Large, semi-double, flowers with a slight fragrance emerge true pink and fade to coral-cream as they gracefully age.
- Gardenia Peony – Abundant white blooms are double and frilly with a faint hint of blush pink and carry a lovely sweet fragrance.
- Karl Rosenfield Peony – Classic, enormous magenta-red flowers are heavily ruffled and have a sweet fragrance.
- Red Charm Peony – Deep, rich red blooms are full and heavily ruffled with a lush, double form and a light, sweet fragrance.
- Sarah Bernhardt Peony – Very fragrant, large double flowers bloom in pastel pink on a dependable plant.
- Shirley Temple – Ivory white to blush pink, ruffled double blooms are charming and fragrant.
Itoh Peonies
Itoh or “Intersectional” peonies are a more recent introduction—a cross between herbaceous peonies and tree peonies. They were the result of a lifetime of work done by Japanese botanist Dr. Toichi to create a magnificent, fast-growing plant with huge flowers held on strong stems with attractive foliage. They generally do not require staking or support and are resistant to blight!
Mature Itoh plants grow to about 2.5 feet tall by around 3.5 feet wide and usually begin to bloom in early June, just as herbaceous peonies are finishing their floral display. Hardy to Zones 4–8, Itoh peonies do well in full sun or partial shade and die back in winter, leaving a short, woody stem above ground. Mature plants can have up to 50+ flowers in one season, and flowers may grow to dinner plate size! Plants can often produce a light, second flowering if deadheaded. Though they can be grown for a few years in a container, Itoh peonies are ultimately best grown in the ground.
Although originally bred to produce yellow flowers, Itoh peonies are now available in a wide range of colors including peach, purple, and white.
Our Favorite Itoh Peonies
- Bartzella Itoh Peony – Lemon yellow, semi-double flowers are sweetly fragrant and borne on symmetrical plants.
- Cora Louise Itoh Peony – Soft lavender petals are offset by intense magenta interiors and bear a slight fragrance.
- Julia Rose Itoh Peony – Semi-double flowers have a spicy scent and bloom in an multidimensional ombre from pale peach through to rich coral and dusty rose.
- Keiko Itoh Peony – Semi-double bright lavender-pink flowers fade to soft, dusky rose tone and are complemented by the bright yellow stamens in the center.
- Peach-A-Licious Itoh Peony – True peach flowers are the prize on this sturdy, attractive plant.
- Pineapple Fizz Itoh Peony – Soft, butter yellow blooms are a shimmering display all over this compact plant.
- Strawberry Swirl Itoh Peony – True, bubblegum pink flowers are borne on compact and easy-care plants.
Planting Peonies in Your Garden
Peonies can be planted in the Spring or Fall. In Spring, the selection of herbaceous and Itoh peonies is best and most diverse. However, plants that go into garden beds during Fall have an added advantage of root establishment during the wet Winter months. If needed, you can keep a newly purchased plant in its pot through Spring and Summer and protect it from damage by sinking the container into the ground until ideal Fall planting time arrives!
Plant peonies in full sun or light shade with rich, well-draining soil, ideally directly into the garden or a raised bed. Be watchful of the planting level; ensure that the buds or “eyes” are no more than 2 inches below the top soil level when planted—Peonies may fail to bloom if buried too deeply.
How to Care for Peonies
Peony Fertilizing Tips
In general, established Herbaceous Peonies are relatively low maintenance and can be given a top dressing of granular, organic, all-purpose fertilizer (4-4-4) each Spring as new growth begins. Itoh peonies, however, are sensitive to nitrogen, so they should be given a fertilizer that has a low first number on the label such as E.B. Stone Rose & Flower Food 5-6-3. or E.B. Stone Tomato & Vegetable Food 4-5-3 to promote blooming without pushing too much green growth.
Peony Pruning Tips
Both herbaceous and Itoh peonies will die back during Winter and should have old foliage removed annually to avoid spreading disease. Herbaceous peonies can be cut to the ground as the foliage turns brown in late Fall. Itoh peonies should be pruned back to leave a 4 to 5-inch woody stem above ground in late Fall; may need to be lightly pruned the following spring as new growth emerges. Tree peonies are generally not pruned at all.
Dividing and transplanting peonies is best done in Fall so that roots can settle during the rainy months and plants can grow strongly on in Spring.
Troubleshooting Peony Issues
Although they are mostly free of insect pests, peonies may experience fungal diseases such as Botrytis and blight. Copper fungicide applied in Spring can be effective in treating and preventing diseases, and plants grown in full sun with good air circulation are less likely to have trouble.
Failure to bloom may be the result of planting too deep or not enough sun exposure. If your peonies have weak stems and floppy flowers that fall over, be sure to provide a peony cage or a “grow-through” support. If possible, harvest flowers for bouquets prior to rainstorms to make the most of the blooms without sacrificing their fluffy flowerheads to damp, wet conditions.
Why Are Ants Attracted to Peony Buds?
As peony buds mature, they secrete a sweet, sticky substance that attracts ants. Gardening folklore claims the ants help the flowers open by “tickling” the buds and removing the sap—but that’s not quite right. The ants aren’t doing any harm, but the flower would open just fine without them. What they do offer is a kind of natural pest control, defending the Peony plant against pests while helping themselves to the bud’s sugary secretions—a fair trade for both parties!
To avoid bringing ants inside on cut peony flowers, cut blooms in early morning while plants are covered with dew and ants are not yet present, or turn cut flowers upside down and gently tap them with your fingers to dislodge unwanted “guests” before bringing them indoors. Cut flowers can also be quickly submerged into a bowl of water to remove hidden insects from inside blooms.
Visit our Garden Centers in Spring to marvel at the majesty of Peonies and find the perfect Peony for your garden’s color palette and aesthetic. With so many colors and styles, it’s impossible not to fall in love with these stunning, reliable plants!