12 Surprising Facts All Peony Enthusiasts Should Know

In addition to their fresh, fragrant scent, Peonies’ huge blooms can open up to 10 inches wide – just make sure you clip the buds early in the morning, before they open into blooms.

Peonies are regarded as the symbol of good fortune and a happy marriage. Fill up your bouquets and flower arrangements, stat.

These blooms hail from China and Europe, where they were used to treat headache, asthma, and childbirth pain. 

In China, the petals are parboiled and sweetened for use as a tea-time delicacy, in summer salads, or as garnish for punches and lemonades.

Peonies do flourish in areas with long, cold winters, but this doesn’t mean they’re only Northern flowers. While peonies perform best in the Upper and Middle South, some do tolerate mild winters; the blooms have been spotted as far South as Jackson, Mississippi and Montgomery, Alabama.

There are a few types of Peonies, and only one is best suited for the lower Southern climate. Herbaceous peonies die to the ground each winter, and grow brand-new stalks in the spring. Herbaceous varieties require more than 400 hours of near-freezing temperature, which is hard to come by in places with mild winters. Tree peonies, on the other hand, identifiable by their sturdy trunks, only need between 100-300 hours of chill time each year, making them more suitable for the deep South.

Over the past decades, Grumpy Gardener Steve Bender has received lots of questions from his loyal garden readers. In honor of Southern Living's 50th anniversary, Grumpy has pulled some of his favorite questions that people are still asking today. He guarantees 14,810% accuracy of all garden answers.

While herbaceous peonies require fall planting, tree peonies may be planted in the fall or the spring. Refer to the Southern Living Plant Encyclopedia for complete information on growing peonies.

But this more of a blessing than a curse, because ants play an important role in helping peonies bloom. Ants are attracted to the sweet nectar found inside peony buds; when they climb inside the buds, they help them open.  Plus, ants help keep other (damaging) insects away.

Kept in optimal conditions, a peony plant can live to be over 100 years old.

Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, these beautiful blooms take a few years before they bloom. Herbaceous peonies don’t usually bloom the first year they’re planted, and tree peonies take two or three years longer to flower. 

It’s easy to get carried away with these gorgeous blooms, but when you cut them, make sure that you leave at least three buds behind on every stem that you cut. Don’t remove more than half of the blooms from any clump, as this will critically damage food reserves.  

Except blue. (sorry, Tarheels fans).