Peonies are long-lived to the point of being inherited, and they resent only one thing: being moved. A herbaceous peony planted with its buds more than three or four centimetres deep will grow perfectly well and never flower, and that single fact explains most unhappy peonies.
Tree peonies are different plants on a woody framework, grafted, and are pruned barely at all. Both want sun, rich soil and patience — a new plant often takes two or three years before it does anything worth watching.
Herbaceous peony
Herbaceous peony
Plant with the crown buds no more than 2.5cm below soil level — planting too deep is the single most common reason a peony fails to flower for years.
Care
Full sun to light part shade.
Standard border watering.
Fertile, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter; dislikes being moved once established.
Cut all top growth down to ground level in autumn once it has died back.
A balanced feed as the red shoots push through, and a potash-rich feed after flowering while the plant builds next year's buds. Keep both off the crown, and go easy on nitrogen — it produces weak stems that fall over under the flowers.
Divide in autumn, not spring: lift the crown, cut it into pieces with three to five eyes each, and replant with the eyes no more than 3-5cm below the surface. Planting too deep is the commonest reason a peony never flowers.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- AprilStake or ring-support before flower buds get heavy. how ›
- MayEnjoy flowering; deadhead if desired. how ›
- OctoberCut all growth to ground level once it has died back. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- AprilStake or ring-support before flower buds get heavy. how ›
- MayEnjoy flowering; deadhead if desired. how ›
- OctoberCut all growth to ground level once it has died back. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Blackened shoots and buds in wet spring weather.
What to do. Cut out and dispose of affected growth promptly.
How to spot it. No blooms despite healthy foliage.
What to do. Usually from planting too deep — the classic cause.
How to spot it. Ants crawling on buds.
What to do. Harmless, no action needed.
Tree peony
Tree peony
Site away from early morning sun, which causes frosted buds to thaw too fast and become damaged.
Care
Sheltered from early morning sun, which can damage frosted buds.
Standard shrub watering.
Fertile, well-drained, humus-rich soil.
Minimal — remove dead wood and spent flowers in early summer; avoid hard pruning, as it flowers on old wood.
A balanced feed at bud break and a potash feed after flowering, spread over the root area rather than against the trunk. One generous mulch a year matters more to a tree peony than any amount of fertiliser.
Not really a home job — almost every tree peony sold is grafted onto a herbaceous rootstock. Layering a low branch into the soil in early summer is the one realistic route, and it takes two years before the layer can be severed.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- MarchFeed as growth resumes. how ›
- JuneDeadhead spent flowers. how ›
- NovemberMulch around the base for winter protection. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchFeed as growth resumes. how ›
- JuneDeadhead spent flowers. how ›
- NovemberMulch around the base for winter protection. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Blackened shoots and buds.
What to do. Cut out affected growth promptly.
How to spot it. Browned buds after a cold snap.
What to do. Site away from early morning sun.
Popular varieties
Questions
Peony: is it hardy?
Herbaceous peony: H6: Hardy in the vast majority of UK gardens. It survives down to −20 °C. Tree peony: H5: Hardy in most of the UK, but can struggle in the coldest inland or upland spots. It survives down to −15 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Herbaceous peony: Deep-rooted and long-lived, resents disturbance; best planted once in open ground. Tree peony: For a few years while young, though it ultimately prefers open ground.
Peony: when do you prune it?
Herbaceous peony: Cut all top growth down to ground level in autumn once it has died back. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in October. Tree peony: Minimal — remove dead wood and spent flowers in early summer; avoid hard pruning, as it flowers on old wood.
Peony: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in May–June.
When do you feed it?
Herbaceous peony: A balanced feed as the red shoots push through, and a potash-rich feed after flowering while the plant builds next year's buds. Keep both off the crown, and go easy on nitrogen — it produces weak stems that fall over under the flowers. Feeding months, UK: March, July. Tree peony: A balanced feed at bud break and a potash feed after flowering, spread over the root area rather than against the trunk. One generous mulch a year matters more to a tree peony than any amount of fertiliser. Feeding months, UK: March, July.