Peony
A long-lived herbaceous perennial that can keep flowering for decades once settled, but resents being moved or divided, so choose its spot carefully. Needs a genuine winter chill to flower well, which makes it more reliable in cooler parts of the country and can leave it sulking, with few or no flowers, in the warmest northern regions. Ants are commonly seen crawling over the flower buds, drawn to sugary nectar on the bud surface, this is normal and doesn't harm the plant.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- moderate
- Spacing
- 90cm
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Mature height
- 80cm
- Flowering season
- Oct, Nov, Dec
- Evergreen
- No, deciduous
- Common diseases
- Botrytis (grey mould) in wet spring weather
- Common pests
- Aphids
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: April-May. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: April-June. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: May-June.
Growing stages
PlantingAutumn to early winter, as bare-root tubers
- Plant the eyes (small pink buds on the tuber) no more than 2-3cm below the soil surface, planting too deep is the most common reason peonies fail to flower
- Choose a permanent full-sun spot, as peonies resent being moved once settled
- Space plants around 90cm apart to allow for their long-term spread
EstablishmentFirst 1-2 years
- Flowering is often sparse or absent in the first year or two while the plant establishes
- Watch for aphids on soft new spring shoots
- In the warmest northern regions, flowering can remain poor long-term without enough winter chill
FloweringSpring into early summer
- Ants crawling over unopened buds are feeding on nectar and are harmless, no need to remove them
- Stake heavy double-flowered varieties before blooms open, as they can flop in rain
- Botrytis (grey mould) can affect buds and stems in cool, wet spring weather; remove any affected growth promptly
Dieback & dormancy
- Foliage dies back to the ground in autumn; this is normal and not a sign of poor health
- Cut dead foliage back to ground level once it has browned, to reduce disease carrying over winter
- Avoid dividing or moving established plants unless necessary, as they can sulk for a year or two afterwards