How to Care for Peony Plants in Winter

The first summer I lived in Alaska, my neighbors brought over a bouquet of enormous, lush pink flowers that I had never seen before. Set in vases against the green walls in my home, I could’ve stared at them for hours.

I soon learned that peonies (Paeonia spp.) are a big deal here in Alaska.

Lots of Alaskan gardeners grow these cold-hardy blooms, which thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8.

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There are three different types of peonies, all of which are long-lived perennials:

Herbaceous varieties, which are perennial shrubs that die down at the end of the growing season and require a period of dormancy and cold before blooming again the following spring.Tree varieties, which can grow up to six feet tall, are deciduous shrubs and lose all their leaves in the fall, remaining bare-branched all winter.Intersectional varieties, also called Itoh peonies, are a hybrid cross of herbaceous and tree types and boast huge flowers that typically bloom for up to three weeks – longer than either herbaceous or tree types.

Depending on the cultivar, petals can be single, double, or semi-double. You can find out more about how to grow these lovely flowers and more about the different varieties in our growing guide.

After reading the above descriptions, you may have gotten an inkling of what a peony plant does during wintertime.

That’s right. It sleeps.

But how much dormancy does it need? How many hours of cold temperatures? And is there anything you should do to keep your peony warm during winter?

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to care for your peonies during

flowers plants trees Winter mulching Laura Ojeda Melchor Alaska