How to Grow Peony Plants

About Growing Peony Flowers Your Home Garden

Growing peony shrubs is very rewarding. Thick and lush leaves. big, bright, showy peony flowers. These are the two most common descriptions of peony shrubs. OH, we forgot the word “popular”. Big, lush peony plants with big, bright, showy flowers are very popular with home gardeners!

Peonies have their “roots’ in two areas of the world. “Common Peonies” originated in southern Europe. Do you have any idea where the “Chinese Peony” originated? Tree peonies come from China, too. The Chinese peonies have double blooms and are more fragrant than their European cousins. Peonies are perennial plants and grow quickly. And, they produce colorful, showy blooms in late spring to early summer.

There is a wide range of colors to choose from, including white, red, crimson, yellow, and rose.

Peony Flower Plant Specifications

Flower Colors: Shades of crimson, coral, red, rose, pink, purple, yellow, white and more.

Flowers Bloom: The flowers bloom in the spring to late fall.

Shrub Height: up to 5 feet tall.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5.

Hardiness Zones: 3 – 9

Light Requirements: Bright, full sunlight.

Toxicity: Some species are mildly toxic. Others are not toxic.

Deer Resistant? Yes. The taste and scent makes them resistant to deer, rabbits, and other foraging wild animals.

Native To: Europe

Plant Type: Perennial

Botanical Name: Paeonia officinalis

Are Peony Plants Edible?

YES and NO!!

Chinese Peonies are edible. However, Tree peonies are not edible. So, it is important to know the species of this pant before thinking about having it for dinner.

The seeds are used for seasoning a variety of recipes. The flowers are also edible. A popular recipe is fried peony flowers.

Keep in mind there are low levels of toxins in this plant. So, do not consume large quantities at a time.

Medicinal Uses of Peonies Plants

Ancient Chinese used parts, of the peony plant, primarily the roots, for treatment of fever, muscle cramps, liver ailments, atherosclerosis, hepatitis, and even PMS!

While ancient cultures used peonies in medicine, it is listed as poisonous plant.

Important Note: Because some species of this plant are mildly toxic, we recommend you do not use the plant to make home remedies with the proper training to assure that you are using non-toxic species.

Light Requirements

Peony flowers grow best in direct, full sunlight. Grow them where they will receive bright, direct sunlight all day long.

Tree peony species grow well in dappled sunlight.

Too little sunlight results in fewer and smaller flowers. And, low light levels make the plant more susceptible to disease.

Perennial Peony Plant Propagation

Peony plants are grown from roots. The roots develop “eyes” which in turn grow into a new Peony.

When transplanting roots from an existing plant, make sure there are at least a couple of eyes on the roots.

How to Grow Peonies Flower Plants

Peonies plants like rich, well-drained soil, and full sun. Add plenty of compost and well-rotted manure before planting, and again each fall.

Plant roots with eyes 1″-2″ deep. Space plants a minimum of 24″-36″ apart.

The plants grow fairly quickly to their full height. The flowers bloom in the spring to late fall. Make sure to provide water during periods of drought.

Add a general-purpose fertilizer a couple of times a year. Also, use fertilizer high in Phosphorus about two weeks before blooming.

Peonies produce a thick, lush plant. If the plant appears too bushy, trim, and thin to improve air circulation. This will help to avoid plant diseases that can harbor in the dark, humid areas of this dense plant.

Garden Tip: If the plants are too bushy, it could be a sign of too much nitrogen in the soil. Consequently, cut back on this fertilizer, and substitute with one higher in Phosphorous.

The profusion of leaves and flowers can cause the plants to fall over, spoiling the beauty of the bloom. Make sure to support the plants with garden stakes or hoops.

In the fall, trim the plant back. If it has experienced plant disease, you can trim it back to the ground. Remove and dispose of any diseased leaves and stems.

Add a covering of mulch in the fall in areas where there is little or no snow cover.

After a few years, the clumps of roots can get too thick and may require digging them up and removing some of the roots. A sure sign of the need for thinning the roots is smaller flower blooms. Chances are, your friends will appreciate your delivery of roots from your favorite plants.

How to Grow Peony Flowers in Containers and Flowerpots

Peony plants look absolutely stunning in flowerpots and containers on a balcony, deck, or a patio. These shrubs grow up to five feet tall. So, it is important to grow them in a very big container.

Like any container-grown plant, they need a little more care and attention. In addition to normal plant care, here’s how to grow Peony flowers in containers:

Select a sunny to partly sunny location on your deck.
It is important to have a drain hole in the container to allow excess water to drain from the pot.
Keep an eye on the moisture level. Check the plants every few days, especially in extended periods of hot, dry weather.
Keep the soil moist, but not wet. It is okay to let the top of the soil begin to dry between watering.
When watering the plants, thoroughly wet the soil. Excess water will drain through the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot.
Nutrients in a flowerpot are limited. So, use fertilizer spikes to feed the plants. Or, apply a light solution of liquid fertilizer once a month.

How to Prune Peonies

Pruning helps to keep your plant healthy and attractive.

First, remove dead, damaged, or diseased leaves and stems.

You can trim the shrub at any time to keep it in a shapely form. However, be careful not to cut off emerging flower buds.

If the foliage is dense, thin the plant out a little. This improves air circulation and helps to prevent plant disease.

As soon as the flowers have died, remove them from the shrub. To deadhead the blooms, use a pruning shear. Remove the flower stem where it meets the stem of the plant. Deadheading spent blooms kept the shrub attractive, and the plant sends more energy to store in the roots for next year’s growth.

If you plan on harvesting seeds to grow new peonies, leave a couple of spent blooms on the plant.

Insects and Plant Disease

Peonies shrubs usually have few insect problems. The presence of ants is common. They are attracted to the nectar in the sweet flower buds. Ants do not hurt the plant or the blooms.

Many plant diseases can affect your plant. These include blights, leaf and stem spots, wilts, molds, and viral disease. Treat plants early with a fungicide. Better still, apply fungicides early in the season before disease occurs. Repeat applications as indicated on the fungicide label.

Growing them in full sunlight helps to avoid fungal diseases. Also, the plant out to improve air circulation through the plant.

Also see: Plant Problems – Identify the causes and find the cures.

Overwintering Peony Plants

Peonies are cold hardy plants. They do not need any special care to prepare them for winter. However, they need a period of cold winter weather to develop flower buds. If you are growing them in containers, keep them outdoors all winter long. However, make sure the container is not collecting rainwater or melting snow. This can cause the roots to rot.