Peonies · the short, sweet season
Peonies are the big, ruffled, fragrant flowers that people wait all year for. They arrive as round buds about the size of a golf ball and open into blooms as big as your hand.
Their natural season is short, mostly late spring, so they are a true treat when you have them. How fast they open depends almost entirely on the temperature of the room, which means you can speed them up or slow them down.
Be patient with the buds
Tight buds are a good thing. They open over two to four days and then give you several more days of full bloom. A peony that arrives fully open is already halfway through its life.
To open them faster, put them in a warm room in water that is warm to the touch. To slow them down, keep them cool. Either way, keep the vase full: opening peonies drink a lot.
When your flowers arrive
- Fill a clean vase with lukewarm water and flower food.
- Cut about an inch off each stem at an angle.
- Strip any leaves that would sit in the water. Keep one or two leaves higher on the stem for looks.
- If a bud feels sticky, gently wipe it with a damp cloth. The sugary coating can hold the petals shut.
- Set them in a bright spot out of direct sun and give them a few days to open.
Where to put them
A warm spot opens the buds. A cool spot keeps open blooms looking fresh longer.
- While they are still buds, a warm, bright room out of direct sun helps them open.
- Once they are open, move them somewhere cooler to make the blooms last.
- Keep them away from heat vents, sunny windows and ripening fruit.
- Fully open peonies are heavy. Give them a vase tall enough to support the stems.
Everyday care
Peonies
Paeonia
- Vase life
- About five to seven days from bud to finish, sometimes more if kept cool.
- Water
- Top up every day. Change it completely every two days.
- Stems
- Re-cut half an inch to an inch at an angle every two or three days.
- Flower food
- Use the packet in fresh water if one came with them.
- Temperature
- Warm to open, cool to keep. Avoid a hot car or a sunny windowsill.
- Watch for
- A bud that stays hard for days. It may be too cold, or it was cut too early.
Peonies can cause vomiting and an upset stomach in cats and dogs if eaten. Keep them out of reach. If any part is eaten, call your veterinarian.
The fridge trick
Florists hold peonies in the cooler to slow them down, and you can do the same at home.
- If you want them at their best for a certain day, put the vase or the stems (wrapped in paper) in the refrigerator overnight.
- Keep them away from fruit and vegetables in the fridge. Ripening produce shortens their life.
- Take them out in the morning, re-cut the stems and put them back in fresh water.
- Don’t leave them in for days. A night or two at a time is plenty.
Quick fixes
Buds won’t open
Move them somewhere warmer, use lukewarm water and wipe off any sticky coating on the buds.
Opened too fast
The room is warm. Move them somewhere cooler, or try the fridge trick overnight.
Heads drooping over
The blooms are heavy or the stems are thirsty. Re-cut, fill the vase and use a taller vase for support.
Petals dropping
They are at the end of their life. Enjoy the petals in a bowl.
Little ants on the buds
Common on garden peonies, drawn to the sweet coating. Rinse the buds gently under cool water.
Cloudy water
Change it, wash the vase and re-cut the stems.
Common questions
How do you get peony buds to open?
Put them in lukewarm water in a warm room and give them two to four days. Wiping a sticky bud with a damp cloth helps too.
How long do cut peonies last?
About five to seven days from bud to full bloom.
Why are there ants on my peonies?
The buds make a sugary coating that ants love. A gentle rinse takes care of it.
When are peonies in season?
Their natural season is late spring. Outside that window they are flown in and can be harder to find, so ask us what is available.
More flower care guides
Roses
Rosa
Fresh cuts, clean water every two days, and a cool room keep roses open for a week or more.
Read the guide →Cut Hydrangeas
Hydrangea macrophylla
The thirstiest flower in the vase. Deep water, and a soak if a head wilts.
Read the guide →Vase Arrangements
Fresh flowers in water
Fresh water every other day, a fresh cut on the stems, and a cool spot out of the sun.
Read the guide →About pets and plants: The pet notes in this guide are general plant knowledge from our florists, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet chews or swallows any part of a plant, contact a licensed veterinarian right away, or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. If a person swallows any part of a plant, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”1 Corinthians 3:7
Questions about your plant?
Call or text us. We are always glad to help, whether you bought it from us or not.
Call or text (984) 250-7771 Clayton Florist · 11440 Clayton Blvd, Clayton, NC 27520claytonncflorist.com