frequently asked questions

  • What are the different types of peonies?

  • Why aren’t my herbaceous peonies blooming?

    • Plants could be too young. Peonies are long-lived perennials that follow the adage, ‘first year roots, second year shoots, third year flowers.’ Give them time to mature.

    • They aren’t getting enough sun. Herbaceous and intersectional peonies need a lot of sun to flower, preferably all day. Tree peonies need mottled sun all day or a half-day of sun. Woodland peonies need to be in a deciduous woodland where they get early spring sun before the leaves come on the trees.

    • Planting depth. The flowering of herbaceous peonies is incredibly sensitive to planting depth - too deep and plants won’t flower, too shallow and plants will dry out and die (details on herbaceous planting depth). Do not mulch your herbaceous peonies! This will cause them to be too deep and stop flowering.

  • Where do peonies grow?

  • What do peonies need?

  • What happened? My newly planted peony looks like it is dying.

    • Like all perennials, newly planted peonies need extra care. Hot summer weather can easily dehydrate a newly planted peony. Without sufficient water the leaves can wither and die making it look like the peony is dying. Know that the root remains viable and the plant will reemerge next spring. During the first growing season after planting a new peony ensure it gets a good soaking at least once a week especially in the heat of summer. Weekly soakings keep the plant from being stressed by drought as it develops its fibrous root system. Be careful to not over water. Over watering or use of foliar/overhead sprinkler systems can cause disease.

    • Check how it was planted and make sure it was planted to the proper depth, in the proper location, and with the proper orientation (not upside-down). Click here for herbaceous peony planting, intersectional peony planting, tree peony planting, and woodland peony planting.

    • If your peony was not planted in well draining soil or if it was planted in an area that flooded there is a chance your peony root has rotted. Check the root to see if it is alive and if so move it to a better location. Learn more about herbaceous peony site selection, intersectional peony site selection, tree peony site selection, and woodland peony site selection.

  • What should I expect from my new peonies? How long will it take my peony to bloom?

  • I want to know more, can you help?