Best Peonies for Alaska

Fat peony buds open in an Alaska garden while peonies in most of North America are long past flowering. The plants here bloom in July and August, and that late timing is a big part of their appeal. Herbaceous peonies with a track record in Alaska are the dependable choice for your yard.

Best Peonies to Grow in Alaska

Classic herbaceous peonies do well here, and the varieties Alaska growers rely on are old, proven garden names. Peonies need a cold winter rest to flower, and Alaska supplies that without trouble. The short season makes an Alaska track record more useful than a catalog promise. Anchorage, one of the mildest inhabited parts of the state, has about 143 frost-free days, and the Interior and the north have far fewer.

Sarah Bernhardt

This soft pink double is named among the common varieties grown by Alaskan peony farmers, and it has also been a top seller. White blossoms lead the sales, followed by corals, creams and blush pink, so Sarah Bernhardt is one option for flowers to cut for the house.

Festiva Maxima

A white double with a long record on Alaska peony farms. It is on the list of common varieties growers there plant, which says more about its reliability than any catalog photo. Plant it where it gets open light.

Duchess De Nemours

One of the standouts in Alaska trial plantings, and again a white that growers keep coming back to. It also appears in the grower lists as Duchess. If you want something proven rather than novel, start here.

Felix Crouse

A deep red that stood out as productive in more than one Alaska trial year. It is a good partner for the whites, because the contrast makes a bed or a cut bouquet look finished. Felix Supreme is also grown by Alaskan farmers.

Pink Parfait

This one kept blooming into August when other cultivars in the trial had finished. That makes it useful if you want color to carry on after the main flush. Pair it with an earlier variety and the bed stays in flower for longer.

How to Choose a Peony for an Alaska Garden

Start with where you garden, because Alaska covers very different growing seasons. Then decide what you want from the plant: cut flowers, a long display, or something that asks little of you.

Whatever you pick, a variety with a record in Alaska beats one chosen from a photo.

An herbaceous peony in a sunny spot suits small spaces and low-effort beds: it is cut back after frost and left alone until spring.

Which Peonies Suit Different Parts of Alaska

The choice shifts with the length of the growing season and the elevation of your lot.

• Anchorage and the Southcentral lowlands: This is one of the mildest inhabited parts of the state, with about 143 frost-free days. These proven herbaceous varieties are reasonable options to discuss with a local grower.
• Higher elevations in Southcentral: Some cultivars that do well lower down are not recommended up the hillside. Ask local growers before buying and favor cultivars they have seen succeed there.
• Fairbanks and the Interior: The season is shorter than around Anchorage, so favor varieties with a record of blooming from late June through the end of July in Fairbanks. Long summer daylight helps make up for the shorter season.
• The far north: Frost-free time is shorter still, so ask a local grower which herbaceous peonies have succeeded nearby.

Wherever you live, local conditions can shift bloom time within Alaska’s summer season.

Peony Buying Mistakes to Avoid in Alaska

Choosing a Tree Peony on Looks

Alaska has no local extension page on pruning peonies, so ask a local garden center or gardening group about local details; herbaceous peonies are cut back after frost. A tree peony keeps its woody stems and is never cut back, so those stems face the winter exposed. The Alaska recommendations here cover herbaceous cultivars, so get local advice before choosing a tree peony.

Trusting an Untested Variety

In one early Alaska planting of five varieties, three did well, one was mediocre and one did not survive. A variety that thrives elsewhere can fail here, especially on higher ground in Southcentral. Buy varieties Alaska growers already plant and start small.

Buying a Pot Without a Plan

A potted peony will grow into a clump, and September is the month to divide it if it becomes crowded. Give it room from the start. Plant it with the eyes near the soil surface, because a peony set too deep may bloom poorly or not come up.

Where to Get Peony Advice in Alaska

Local growers know which varieties hold up on your lot. Local help can make the choice easier before you buy.

• The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension publishes research on peonies grown in the state, worth reading before you order plants.
• Your local extension office can tell you which varieties do well at your elevation, and a good time to ask is while peonies are in leaf.

Common Questions

Do New Peonies Bloom the First Year?

A newly planted or transplanted peony may not bloom the first spring. Give it time to settle in.

What Color of Peony Do Alaska Growers Choose?

White blossoms are the top sellers, followed by corals, creams and blush pink. Sarah Bernhardt is one of the varieties grown by Alaska peony farmers.

When Should You Plant Peonies in Alaska?

September is the month to plant or divide peonies, so the roots can settle before the ground freezes.