Peony Growth Rate

Peony Growth Rate

• Clemson University horticulturalists Karen Russ and Bob Polomski describe peonies' growth rate as slow. Peony plants take as long as 3 to 5 years to bloom. However, once herbaceous peonies display their first bloom, they produce flowers each subsequent growing season for the rest of their lives when provided with optimal conditions. Tree peonies begin blooming after 3 to 5 years although haven't yet reached full size by this time. The plants continue growing and producing increasingly more blooms each year until reaching attaining full size.

Peony Growth Rate in Perspective

• Peonies' growth rate seems slow compared to other garden flowers, which can reach full size and create full blooms in their first year in a garden. However, peonies live for as long as 100 years with proper care. While a specimen takes 3 to 5 years to produce its first blooms, it may continue producing blooms for more than 90 years after the first bloom.

Transplanting Peony

• Transplanted peonies don't grow more quickly than those cultivated from cuttings or seed, but growers can purchase specimens of different ages. A peony purchased in its first year of growth still takes 3 to 5 years to produce blooms when transplanted to the garden. A peony purchased after 3 years of growth may bloom in the season following transplanting, although transplanting a particularly sensitive specimen may cause the plant to experience a brief retardation in growth. When purchasing a specimen for transplanting, ask about the plant's age, the specifics of the species or hybrid, and the time required to bloom.

More on Peony Growth

• Peonies not grown in optimal conditions take longer than usual to reach their mature size and may never fully develop. Peonies prefer full sun exposure, least six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day, and require at least four hours of direct sunlight daily to grow. Moist, well-drained loam is the best growing medium. Poor soil drainage leads to root rot and other fungal diseases that kill peony specimens. Peonies require a soil pH range of 6.5 to 7.0 to flourish and benefit from the application of a dry synthetic 5-10-5 or 10-10-10 fertilizer or an organic 5-5-5 at a rate of 3 to 4 lbs. per 100 square feet at the beginning of spring. Water the plants immediately after fertilization.