Best Peonies for Iowa

A peony that returns every May after a hard Iowa winter is a familiar sight beside old farmhouses, and it is not luck. The plant wants the cold. For Iowa yards, herbaceous peonies are the dependable choice, with intersectional and tree types as worthwhile additions once you know their habits.

Best Peonies to Grow in Iowa

Herbaceous peonies, intersectionals and tree peonies all suit Iowa, where winters provide the cold rest peonies need to flower. Woodland peonies work in shade. Here is how each type earns its spot.

Herbaceous Garden Peony

The most common peony in Iowa yards is the herbaceous peony, also called the garden peony. It dies back to the ground each fall and sends up new growth in spring.

Cut the old stems back after frost in fall, or wait until spring. Plant it with the eyes near the soil surface, since a peony set too deep may bloom poorly or not come up at all.

Common Garden Peony

The common garden peony, Paeonia lactiflora, is the standard herbaceous form and comes in a wide range of flower forms and colors. That variety lets you choose singles, Japanese, anemone, semi-double or full double blooms without changing how you grow it.

Singles show five or more guard petals around a center of pollen-bearing stamens. Full doubles have stamens and carpels changed entirely into petals.

Intersectional Peony

The intersectional, also known as the Itoh, is a hybrid of the garden and tree peonies. Herbaceous and intersectional types are among the easiest to grow and share the same routine: they die back each fall and regrow in spring.

Treat it like a garden peony and cut it back after frost. Iowa winters are cold enough to give it the rest it needs.

Tree Peony

Tree peonies are deciduous woody shrubs, not perennials that vanish each winter. They go dormant but renew growth each spring on woody stems, so they are never cut back to the ground.

Mature tree peonies usually need no staking because their woody branches support the large flowers and can develop into sizable shrubs. Leave the stems standing and give the shrub room to reach that size.

Woodland Peony

Woodland peonies, Paeonia japonica and P. obovata, suit shady sites. If part of your yard sits under trees where a garden peony would sulk, this is the type to try.

Fernleaf Peony

The fernleaf peony, Paeonia tenuifolia, is noted for finely cut, fern-like foliage and crimson red flowers. It adds texture to a bed even when it is not in bloom, and it fits the same cold-winter rhythm as the other herbaceous types.

How to Choose a Peony for an Iowa Garden

Start with what your yard asks of the plant. Iowa winters supply the chill peonies need, so cold rarely rules a type out. Space, time and bloom season usually decide the choice.

Peonies bloom from May into June, and choosing early, mid-season and late cultivars can help keep color in the garden through more of that window.

Peonies are long lived and keep attractive foliage well after the flowers fade. A tree peony grows into a woody shrub, so give it space for its adult size.

Which Peonies Suit Different Parts of Iowa

The statewide hardiness range does not identify the right peony for a particular yard; light, space and growth habit are better guides.

• Northern Iowa: Match the peony type to the light and space in your yard.
• Central Iowa, around Des Moines: Choose among herbaceous, intersectional and tree peonies according to the growth habit that fits your site.
• Southern Iowa: Keep the eyes near the soil surface when planting, and choose the peony type that fits the site.

Wherever you live, match the type to your spot, not the map.

Peony Buying Mistakes to Avoid in Iowa

Planting Too Deep

A peony set too deep may bloom poorly or not come up at all. That costs you years of waiting for a plant that sulks. Keep the eyes near the soil surface when you plant or divide, and aim for September, or October at the latest, so the roots settle before winter.

Expecting Flowers the First Spring

A newly planted or transplanted peony may not bloom the first spring. Buyers often assume the plant is a dud and dig it up. Give it time instead, and enjoy the foliage while the roots establish.

Cutting Back a Tree Peony

A herbaceous peony is cut back after frost, but a tree peony keeps its woody stems and is never cut back. Treating one like the other removes the framework that carries next year’s buds. Check the label for the type before you pick up the shears, and cut herbaceous stems in October or November, or in March and April.

Where to Get Peony Advice in Iowa

For questions about varieties, planting depth or a peony that will not bloom, start with Iowa State University Extension and your county office, where local gardeners know how peonies behave in your soil.

• The extension website has guides on planting and dividing peonies, useful in late summer before September planting.
• Your county extension office can answer bloom and placement questions, and spring is a good time to ask.

Common Questions

When Do Peonies Bloom in Iowa?

Peonies bloom from May into June. Choosing early, mid-season and late cultivars spreads the display across that window.

Can You Divide Peonies in Iowa?

Yes. Divide older, crowded plants in September, or October at the latest. By then the plants have stored food in their roots, and the divisions have time to reestablish before winter.

Do Tree Peonies Survive Iowa Winters?

They go dormant over winter and renew growth each spring on woody stems. Leave the stems in place and let new growth emerge from them.