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.
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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
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.”
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 …
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.
Here’s to the power of peonies!
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!
Try this article for tips on growing peonies in Texas: https://www.hunker.com/13427033/how-to-grow-peonies-in-texas
I love peonies too. Thank you for mentioning the peony ring.
I wish they bloomed longer!
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
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!