Peony Growing Guide
Growing Peony is easier than you think. This guide walks you through everything you need — from planting your first seed to harvesting.
At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -40°C
Plant Family
Paeoniaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
Also grows well as
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Plant a bare-root crown in autumn with its eyes only 2–5cm deep, in full sun and rich, drained soil — then leave it undisturbed to settle and bulk up over a few years.
A heirloom perennial that can outlive the gardener — plant it once and enjoy lavish early-summer blooms for 50+ years. The number-one rule: plant SHALLOW. The pink buds ('eyes') on the crown must sit just 2–5cm below the surface; planted deeper, the peony grows leaves but stubbornly refuses to flower. It also dislikes being moved, so choose its spot well. (And the ants on the buds are harmless — they're just after the sweet sap, not damaging anything.)
When To Start
First Chance to Plant
—
Last Chance to Plant
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When should you plant Peony?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Peony Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
The Journey Ahead
Peony's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
90 cm
Plant Spacing
30 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
No.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Patience and shallow planting are everything: a peony may give little the first year or two, then bloom magnificently for decades.
- 2Full sun, rich well-drained soil, and a support ring for the top-heavy flowers.
- 3Don't bury the crown, don't keep moving it, and don't smother it with deep mulch over the eyes.
- 4Cut foliage down in autumn to beat botrytis.
- 5Ants are friends, not pests.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
90 cm
Mature Height
90 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
When to Pick
Blooms late spring to early summer; cut at the soft 'marshmallow' bud stage
How to Harvest
- 1For long vase life, cut when the bud is coloured and feels like a soft marshmallow (just before opening).
- 2In the garden, deadhead spent blooms, support the heavy flowers (they flop in rain), and cut the foliage to the ground in autumn — that clears away any disease for a clean start.
- 3Otherwise, the less you fuss, the better.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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