When to plant peonies
Plant peonies in fall, from 6 weeks before the first fall frost up to the first fall frost. That works out to zone 5b (late August to early October), zone 7a (mid September to late October) and zone 9a (mid October to late November).
Peonies planting dates by zone
| Zone | Plant |
|---|---|
| 4a | Aug 15 – Sep 26 |
| 4b | Aug 18 – Sep 29 |
| 5a | Aug 20 – Oct 1 |
| 5b | Aug 27 – Oct 8 |
| 6a | Sep 3 – Oct 15 |
| 6b | Sep 7 – Oct 19 |
| 7a | Sep 13 – Oct 25 |
| 7b | Sep 20 – Nov 1 |
| 8a | Sep 26 – Nov 7 |
| 8b | Oct 4 – Nov 15 |
| 9a | Oct 15 – Nov 26 |
| 9b | Oct 29 – Dec 10 |
How to plant peonies
| Plant as | bare-root divisions |
|---|---|
| Depth | Eyes no more than 2 in deep |
| Spacing | 3 ft |
| Light | Full sun |
| Time to bloom | 2–3 years |
| Hardiness | Perennial in zones 3–8 |
Planting too deep is the most common reason peonies do not bloom.
They need winter chill and do best in zones 3–8.
Once established, leave them alone: peonies can live 50 years.
When to expect flowers from peonies
Peonies bloom in late spring; new plants may take 2–3 years to bloom fully.
Exact dates for your town: planting calendar · frost dates by state.
More flowers to plant
Begonias · Coleus · Marigolds · Zinnias · Sunflowers · Cosmos · Mums · Lantana