The illustrated growing guide
Peony
Paeonia lactiflora
Family Paeoniaceae
Est. zones 3-8
PLANTING DEPTH IS EVERYTHING: eyes 1-2 inches deep, no deeper, or it never blooms. Don't move it — peonies outlive their planters (100+ yr). Support hoops BEFORE bloom; rain + full flowers = face-plant.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Slow growth
Attracts bees☤ Juglone-sensitivePeony is sensitive to juglone — the toxin exuded by black walnut, butternut, and their relatives. Keep it 50+ ft from any walnut or hickory, or its leaves will yellow, wilt, and die back for no obvious reason.
From the print shop
Growing peony? Hang it.
Our Garden Blooms collection carries peony — Paeonia lactiflora, print Nº 1, “Peony.”
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will peony suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what peony actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-8Peony at a glance
Common peony problems
- None significant
- Botrytis Blight (wet springs)
- Powdery Mildew
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow peony: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate peony
When to spray peony
Dormant season. Fall cleanup IS the spray program.
Growing season. Rarely needed if fall cleanup is done.
III
The year
What peony asks for, month by month.
The peony year, month by month
BloomPruneWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
The peony year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May bloom
- Jun bloom
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep pruning
- Oct pruning
- Nov pruning
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Peony in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
What peony is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesMildly toxic to pets
Harvesting & storing peony
Cut at marshmallow-soft bud stage for vase.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of peony, ruled as a catalogue.
Best peony varieties & cultivars
'Sarah Bernhardt', 'Festiva Maxima', 'Bartzella' (Itoh)
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to peonyyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
Questions
Peony questions, answered straight.
Is peony safe for kids and pets?
With care. Mildly toxic to pets Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
When do you harvest peony?
Cut at marshmallow-soft bud stage for vase.
How do you propagate peony?
Division or seed.
IX
Elsewhere
Where peony sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Daylily
Hardy Banana