When are Peonies in Season?
I love pink peonies, white peonies, and every kind of peony. So when are peonies in season so I can make a peonies bouquet for my kitchen?
I have bad news. You are going to have to wait about a month to find peonies in season. If you don’t have peonies growing in your yard, and you can’t get to a flower market, you will have to wait.
So When Are Peonies in Season?
So what’s the answer?
Late April to late June.
Which means my absolute favorite flower is only available for about two months.
Of course, there is some wiggle room with those dates, as the weather determines the exact dates. So they may be out two weeks earlier or last two weeks later.
What Types of Peonies are Available?
Let’s start with my favorite colors. I love pink peonies and white peonies. Just so you know, peonies are available in a lot of colors … white, pink, rose, red, deep purple, and coral.
There are 33 recognized species of peonies throughout the world and countless horticultural cultivars. Botanically, peonies are small, woody shrubs, which have a fancy name of herbaceous perennials. Their leaves alternate along the stem of the plant and have many lobes.
In most locations, peony flowers will bloom in April, May, or June. Usually, tree peonies bloom first (around Mother’s Day), followed by herbaceous varieties (around Memorial Day), and then the intersections.
Does this mean you can’t get them if you are getting married in September? Not necessarily.
You might be able to source them. You will just have to pay a much higher price and find a florist who can find them.
How to Grow Peonies
Unfortunately, l live in southern California and I am not sure how well I can grow peonies in our yard. Of course, I should at least try to plant some of the California variety now, because they can take three years to grow before they bloom.
I think the best way to learn how to plant peonies is to head over to The Spruce and read their amazing How to Grow Peonies Guide.
The Best Place to Buy Peonies
A lot of the peonies we buy come from Britain, France, and Holland.
But where is the best place to buy them?
Trader Joe’s.
Why? Because during peony season they have them almost every day. And their prices are amazing. And they last a really long time.
You can also find them at other grocery stores, farmer’s markets, flower marts, florists, and online.
How Long do Peonies Last?
You can store peonies in your refrigerator (in water) for about two months if you don’t want to use them right away. It’s true!
Once you cut them and put them in a vase, they will likely last 5 – 10 days. Change the water and keep them in a cool place and they will last longer.
How to Help Your Peonies Open up Faster
If you have a dinner party or an event and you need your peonies to open up faster, just put them in a sunny and warm room. They will open up quickly. If you have a big even, test the process with one peony to see how long it takes. It shouldn’t take longer than six hours.
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How to Enjoy Peonies All Year
The secret to enjoying peonies all year round is to use faux peonies. Trust me, there are a lot of good ones available and they do last a really long time! I have listed some of my favorites below.
I like using faux flowers both inside and out. You can see the faux hydrangeas and peonies here on our back porch.
You can also make peonies with crepe paper and you can hand-cut them or use a Cricut cutting machine.
I made these pink peony flowers.
I also made the crepe paper peonies on this wreath. Click here for the DIY.
Watch My Amazon Live
I hosted an Amazon Live Show and I am sharing my favorite Faux flowers for Spring. Watch here.
Click here to watch any of the Live Broadcasts on my feed. All of my Amazon Live Broadcasts are recorded.
Until peonies are available in your area, here are some of my favorite faux peonies, vases, and storage!
Pin the image below to your boards on Pinterest (click the Pin button in the top left corner). You can also follow along with me on Pinterest!
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Hi Leslie! You can also get peonies imported from the Southern Hemisphere in the fall which is spring down under. As you mentioned, though, it will probably cost more. Maybe Trader Joe’s will find a good Southern Hemisphere source and offer them in November!
I adore peonies too and have purchased some of the ones from Amazon which are amazing! They look so real and it’s seriously hard to tell if they are real or faux. I would like to try my hand at your pink ones above. Those are just gorgeous!
Peonies are some of my favorites. I cringe now recalling as a child my siblings and I pulling the unopened buds from my grandmothers garden and using them like grenades when we would play. How she didn’t give us a good hollering is beyond me. Wanted to ask about your lovely wooden outdoor furniture. Do you have a source you could link up?
I like your website , I do like to craft with artificial flowers, and I’m very sorry you took back your original email that I couldn’t address at that moment because I have a very nosey neighbor. I do have that house though, and my current address is rather, temporary. (To say the least).
Ha ha, you had me going…peonies in March! Will be a hour drive to San Antonio to TJ’s for me but well worth it. I love those pale pink ones too. Did you mention how heavenly they smell?
You could grow them in your yard, as a neighbor had them in our Anaheim Hills cul desac. Morning sun, shady afternoon and in a corner where the bush gets support as it grows.
Hi Cindy! The pink ones are so stunning 😍 and the smell is absolutely magical. The perfect space for them to flourish!
I love peonies! I have a peony bush here in NC. Last spring I checked on it daily just waiting for the blooms to open. One morning I went out and found every bud was gone! I don’t know what animal feasted on them. There are deer and rabbits. Any ideas? (I am pretty sure it wasn’t Rosa!😂 from above)
Hi Kathy! Deer don’t generally enjoy peonies because of their strong scent, but hungry deer will eat peonies. Other likely culprits are rabbits, squirrels and beavers! Hope this helps 🤗