A delicate and intoxicating delight.
Peony
Peony
Paeonia
Known as the “king of flowers”, peonies are prized for their large, showy blooms, which may be cut to make beautiful bouquets. Easy to care for, once established these robust plants will continue to adorn your garden for many years! Peonies start to bloom late spring or early summer and attract hummingbirds. The Peony is a perennial plant that can last up to 100 years, if properly taken care of.
Peonies are not safe for human or animal consumption.
| Light | Light shade or full sun. They like about 6-8 hours of sunlight everyday. Adequate light will also better maximize blooms. Peonies prefer full sun in mild climates, light shade in hot climates. |
| Water | Ensure soil is moist or boggy. Be sure there is proper drainage. The soil should not dry out. |
| Temperature | Peonies shrubs do well in cooler temperatures. Peonies will start to flower as soon as the temperature are warmer, around 20°C or 70°F. |
Symbolizing “bashfulness”, peonies are native to Asia, Europe and Western North America. Peonies have a sensual fragrance and massive blooms. There are between 25 – 40 different species of Peonies, it differs from what scientists can agree to. The Peony is the national flower of China.
It is best to plant Peonies in the fall. They will start to establish roots in the winter. Be sure to adequately space out peony shrubs since they need lots of room to grow and do not like to compete with other plants for sunlight and soil. Be sure to choose a good location away from high winds, but adequate sunlight since after the shrub is established, the roots do not like to be disturbed.
A single Peony bloom will only flower between 7-10 days, however all the blooms do not flower at the same time. Peonies will bloom continuously for a few weeks. In warmer climates, the Peonies will bloom earlier, while in cooler climates the Peonies will bloom longer. If planting Peonies for the first time, it is rare that blooms are produced in the first year, it will normally take up to 3 years for blooms to start. Once they start blooming, they will come back year after year for decades.
If planted in soil, you might want to consider some support, wire cages like ones used for tomatoe plants, to support the stems from their massive blooms. This is best to do right away since when the plant blooms and fills out, it is nearly impossible to set up. You can start deadheading any blooms that are faded. You can fertilize the soil once the blooms are finished, but this only needs to be done every few years. In the fall, you can cut down the Peony plants to the ground, to avoid any diseases that may occur in the winter.
You will often find ants crawling on the Peony buds. Ants are attracted to the nectar of the fragrant flower and do not harm the plant in any way. Ants are actually a deterrent to other insects that may harm the plant, so do not spray the ants.