A bare-root peony arrives as a knobby bundle of fleshy roots topped with a few pink or red buds called eyes, and it wants to go into the ground while it is still asleep. Autumn is the season for that job.
When Should You Plant Bare Root Peonies?
In Utah and North Carolina, fall is the preferred season for planting bare-root peonies. In Indiana, dormant plants are less sensitive to injury when they are moved. Spring planting asks a sleeping root system to wake up and settle in at once.
Where you live changes the calendar. In Indiana, October is the month for planting or dividing bare-root stock. Utah and North Carolina also favor fall planting.
In Indiana, freshly dug roots face less storage and handling damage, and fall-established plants grow more vigorously in their first growing season. In Alaska, the end of the growing season is when peonies should go in.
From the almanac
Peonies in your state
The dates on this page depend on where you live. Your state's page carries its frost dates, its USDA zones and the year laid out month by month.
Northeast
Southeast
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Midwest
Southwest
West
Pacific Northwest
Canada
How Do You Plant Bare Root Peonies?
Work in this order, and each step protects the buds that become next spring’s shoots.
- Choose an open spot, and check with your county extension office about the soil and drainage for peonies.
- Dig a hole wide and deep enough to spread the roots without bending them.
- In Iowa, set the crown with the eyes pointing up and their tips 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface.
- Backfill with the native soil and press it gently around the roots.
- Water well after planting.
- Allow room for neighbors, which in Iowa means 3 to 4 feet between plants, so that air moves through the foliage as the clumps grow.
Mark the spot with a stake. The buds stay underground all winter, so mark the spot.
How Does Planting Differ by Peony Type?
What shifts is how much space each one needs once it grows into a full clump.
In Kansas, dwarf and standard types have different spacing requirements.
| What changes | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Dwarf types need at least 2 feet between plants (Kansas) | A compact clump needs less room, so you can fit more plants into a small bed. |
| Standard types need at least 4 feet between plants (Kansas) | A larger clump needs room to spread, and crowding it limits air movement around the foliage. |
Check the plant tag before you dig, since the tag tells you which group a variety belongs to. If the type is unknown, ask your county extension office about spacing.
What Mistakes Should You Avoid with Bare Root Peonies?
Planting Too Deep
Burying the buds feels protective, but it backfires. In Kansas, eyes set more than 2 inches deep may flower late or not flower at all, and the plant can look healthy for years without a single bloom.
Check the depth before you backfill, and fill or dig as needed. If an established plant has stopped blooming, check with your county extension office about lifting and replanting it.
Buying Roots with Few Eyes
A division with too few eyes is slow to build up. In Utah, divisions with at least 3 to 5 eyes reach maturity sooner. In Alaska, good roots have 5 to 8 eyes.
Look at the eyes before you buy, especially from online sellers.
Paying Full Price in Spring
In Alaska, some wholesale bare-root peonies can sell for $60-80 per plant. Planting time is also the end of the growing season, and that is when good deals can turn up.
In Alaska, deals may appear toward the end of the growing season, when peonies should be planted.
How Do You Know It Is Time to Plant?
The plant tells you. When the foliage on established peonies has browned and died back, fresh-dug roots are showing up for sale. That is the signal to get roots into the ground.
Each state has its own months, and the state page gives the window for your area.
- Open your state page to find the planting window for your climate.
- Order roots ahead of that window so they are in hand the day the soil is ready to dig.
Common Questions
Should You Soak Bare Root Peonies Before Planting?
In North Carolina, a soak in clean water for about 10 minutes rehydrates the roots before planting. A quick sanitizing dip before the soak is also recommended there. Plant right after.
Can You Plant Divisions from Your Own Peonies the Same Way?
Yes. In North Carolina, established clumps can be divided in fall, the same season when purchased bare-root crowns are planted. Each division goes in at the same depth and spacing as a new root.
What Soil Do Bare Root Peonies Need?
A light, well-drained mix with steady moisture. Cut-flower growers plant peonies in beds like that.