• Home
  • Meet Kelly
  • My House
  • Contact

Kelly Elko

Love where you live - inspired decorating ideas

  • Eclectic Homes
  • Projects
    • My Projects
    • FREE Printables
    • Garden
    • Recipes
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Organization
  • Decorate
    • My House
    • Decorating
    • Outdoors
    • Christmas
    • Fall
    • Summer
    • Spring
    • Tablescapes
  • Life
    • Travel
    • Musings
  • Shop

12 Fun Peony Facts Every Peony Lover Needs to Know!

May 31, 2019  Garden | Uncategorized

In China, peonies are a symbol of romance, prosperity, good fortune, a happy marriage, riches, honor, and compassion. I’ve gathered some surprising facts that every peony lover worth their salt must know! After reading these 12 fun peony facts, you’ll be able to gain friends and influence people (and be ready for a peony category on Jeopardy) with your new found knowledge.

12 Fun Peony Facts that every peony lover needs to know! kellyelko.com #peonies #peony #perennials #flowers #blooms #gardening #gardeners #gardeningtips

post contains affiliate links

When Marco Polo discovered peonies, he called them “roses as big as cabbages.” I love the wild, free form look of this arrangement. This is just a small fraction of peonies that my three bushes reward me with every spring! Just make sure you use peony rings to keep your plants from flopping.

Don’t miss my tips on how to successfully grow your own peonies …

How to Grow Peonies

She's the peony whisperer! So many great tips for growing peonies kellyelko.com #peonies #peony #perennials #gardener #gardeningtips

https://www.kellyelko.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/12-Fun-Peony-Facts-Video.mp4

12 Fun Facts About Peonies

1: The peony is named after Paeon who was the student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine. Asclepius became jealous of his Paeon’s natural ability to heal so before Asclepius could harm his student, Zeus stepped in and turned Paeon into a peony to keep him safe.

2: Peonies come in every color except blue and some varieties can grow to over 10 inches in diameter!

3: A peony plant can live for more than 100 years under the right conditions.

4: Peony petals are edible (just make sure that they are grown organically and without pesticides if you plan to take a nibble).

5: Ants love peonies! They are attracted to the sweet nectar found inside peony buds so they climb inside which helps the flowers open (although peonies will open just fine on their own).
Tip: Cut peonies at night when ants are less active

6: Deer hate peonies and so do bunnies!

7: Peonies need at least 400 hours of temps below 40 degrees in order to bloom in the spring. This is why they don’t grow well in warmer climates.

8: Peonies can’t store up energy for next year’s blooms without leaves. When cutting flowers, don’t remove more than half of the blooms and make sure to leave enough stem (with at least 3 or 4 leaves) on the plant.
Tip: Remove dead blooms in spring but wait to cut peony bushes to the ground until after the first frost

9: Lighter pink peonies are more fragrant than the darker ones.

10: Peonies are sun bathers and prefer a minimum of six hours of full sun per day.

11: Peonies are the traditional flower to celebrate the 12th anniversary.

12: The Chinese name for peony is sho yu which means “most beautiful.”

Pink peonies - so many great tips for planting, growing, cutting kellyelko.com #peonies #peony #perennials #gardener #gardeningtips

I wish this was smell-a-blog so you could inhale the sweet scent of my peonies.

I’ve written a few posts dedicated to my favorite flower if you want to read more …

How to Grow Peonies 

How to Make Peonies Last Longer  

Free Peony Printable 

My supermodel peonies posed for some more pics and I have a few tips to make your peonies last much longer once they are cut …

Great tips for growing and arranging peonies kellyelko.com #peonies #peony #gardeningtips #gardening #bouquet #flowerarrangements #vintagestyle

I love using unexpected things as vases. In this cute breadbox, I added two vases and filled them with peonies.

Peonies will last much longer if you change their water daily and cut the stems a bit.

You can find this vintage style enamel breadbox here.

Get the best tips for planting, growing and arranging peonies! kellyelko.com #peonies #peony #perennials #gardening #gardeningtips #vintagedecor

She's the peony whisperer! Get her tips on planting and growing your own stunning peonies kellyelko.com #peonies #peony #perennials #flowers #gardening #gardeningtips

Here’s to the power of peonies!

Peonies! Learn how to grow them, make them last longer, arrange them, and some unique fun facts about this spring flower kellyelko.com #peonies #peony #perennials #gardeners #gardeningtips

Sign up to get Kelly Elko's latest posts delivered right to your inbox
Your information will never be shared or sold to a 3rd party.

Share this Post!

2421 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
« Previous: My Two Favorite Outdoor Cleanup Must Haves
Next: 52 Weeks of Yes Month 3! Cryotherapy, Broadway, Goat Yoga and an MRI »

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. Tonya Wright

    June 2, 2019 at 6:07 pm

    I know peonies don’t do well in the South. However, a friend of mine in Ft. Worth Texas bought a house in that area with a mature peony bush in the yard. Do you have any suggestions on how this was grown? My friend says she has a black thumb and has no clue!
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      June 4, 2019 at 3:52 pm

      Try this article for tips on growing peonies in Texas: https://www.hunker.com/13427033/how-to-grow-peonies-in-texas

      Reply
  2. Lisa K.

    June 8, 2019 at 8:22 am

    I love peonies too. Thank you for mentioning the peony ring.

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      June 8, 2019 at 2:40 pm

      I wish they bloomed longer!

      Reply
  3. Rosa

    June 12, 2019 at 5:35 pm

    Hi,
    I love peonis but cannot grow them in Southern California. I have purchased them at Trader Joes’s a few times but have had no luck with them. One bunch took about 4 to 5 days to start to open, and then it was just one at a time. I never had more than one or two open at once. I bought two more bunches but still couldn’t get them to open together. Why?
    I’d love any tips you can share.

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      June 13, 2019 at 5:10 pm

      Hi Rosa! Peony buds have a waxy coating. When you get your flowers home, make sure to cut the stems on an angle, remove all leaves so they aren’t submerged in water, put them in a vase of water and place them in a sunny location. Cut the stems at an angle and replace the water every day. If your buds don’t start to open after a day or two, I would try submerging the buds in hot water which should help remove the waxy coating. You could even try rubbing the buds to help them to open. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  4. [email protected] com

    September 29, 2020 at 4:49 pm

    Beautiful ♥️♥️

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      September 29, 2020 at 6:01 pm

      Thanks so much! I love peonies!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to Plant Peonies so they Bloom! says:
    May 31, 2019 at 11:21 am

    […] Don’t miss my 12 Fun Peony Facts every peony must know here. […]

    Reply
  2. 5 Rules for Growing Perfect Peonies - and Peony Overload! - Kelly Elko says:
    June 6, 2020 at 11:26 am

    […] 12 Fun Peony Facts […]

    Reply

KELLY

About / Contact / Press
facebook twitter instagram google pinterest snapchat

Join me as I decorate my 100 year old home, scour thrift stores, create pretty things, putter in my peony and hydrangea filled garden, and mix up a mean cocktail all with a touch of sarcasm and a side of bacon - Cheers!



More About Kelly

Love where you live by mixing high and low, new and old to create a home that shows off your personality. My mantra ... simple projects equals more time for cocktails!
Subscribe for Email Updates:

Get in Touch

facebook twitter instagram google pinterest snapchat

I'd love to hear from you:
[email protected]

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · KellyElko All rights reserved. Site by WordPress Barista

Copyright © 2023 · KellyElko - 2016 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Sign up to get Kelly Elko's latest posts delivered right to your inbox
Your information will never be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
2421 shares