Every May, peony buds in Maryland yards swell, split and open into ruffled blooms. Herbaceous garden peonies and intersectionals are dependable choices here, alongside named varieties that are popular in the region. Which one suits your yard depends mostly on how much winter cold it gets.
Best Peonies to Grow in Maryland
Herbaceous peonies and intersectionals do well in much of Maryland, and they die back to the ground each fall before pushing up fresh growth in spring. Peonies need a cold winter rest to flower, so flowering may be weaker in Maryland’s mildest-winter pockets.
Herbaceous Garden Peonies
The common garden peony, Paeonia lactiflora, is the standard herbaceous form in most home gardens and comes in many flower forms and colors. Single, Japanese, anemone, semi-double, double and bomb-double blooms all fall under it. Plant it where winters give a real cold rest.
Intersectional Peonies
Intersectionals share the same culture as herbaceous peonies. Each fall they die back, and new growth emerges in spring. Intersectionals are among the easiest peonies to grow, which makes them a sound choice for a new peony gardener.
Sarah Bernhardt
This cultivar is widely grown for cut peonies, and it accounts for more than half of cut peony production. In the garden it gives you large, fragrant blooms in late spring. It is a natural choice if you want flowers for the vase.
Karl Rosenfeld and Festiva Maxima
Karl Rosenfeld and Festiva Maxima are popular landscape cultivars across this region, alongside Dr. Alexander Fleming. Karl Rosenfeld is a familiar red, and Festiva Maxima is a widely grown classic. Peonies are long-lived perennials that return reliably year after year, so a good choice at planting keeps rewarding you.
Fernleaf Peony
Paeonia tenuifolia is noted for finely cut, fern-like foliage and crimson red flowers. It looks different from a typical peony even before it blooms, which makes it a good accent near a path or at a bed edge.
Woodland Peonies
Paeonia japonica and Paeonia obovata are best suited to shade gardeners. If your yard has tree cover where a standard peony would sulk, these are the species to look at first.
Maryland — the year and the numbers
- State
- Maryland
- USDA zones
- 5b-8a
- Last spring frost
- April 3 to April 16
- First fall frost
- October 26 to November 5
- Annual rain
- 45 in
- Lawn zone
- transition-season
- Source
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals, 32F freeze probabilities · Baltimore
How to Choose a Peony for a Maryland Garden
Start with the winter your yard gets. Peonies do best where winters are cold and may flower poorly in mild-winter climates, so the western mountains and the warmer Eastern Shore call for different choices.
After winter, think about time and light. Peonies that die back and return on their own ask very little of you through the year.
| Your situation | What suits it in Maryland | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Very cold winter in the western mountains | Herbaceous or intersectional peonies | They die back to the ground each fall, and the cold rest helps them flower |
| Mild winter near the Eastern Shore | Herbaceous peonies in the coolest spot you have | Peonies may flower poorly where winters are mild |
| Little time for upkeep | Herbaceous or intersectional peonies | They are the easiest to grow and share the same culture |
| Shady yard | Woodland peonies | Paeonia japonica and Paeonia obovata are best suited to shade |
| Flowers for cutting | Sarah Bernhardt | It is the popular cut-flower cultivar, with large, fragrant blooms |
Pairing a herbaceous peony with a woodland species lets you use the same family in sunny beds as well as shade.
Which Peonies Suit Different Parts of Maryland
Maryland runs from mountains to tidewater, and the cold peonies need is not spread evenly across it.
- Garrett and Allegany counties: These mountainous counties run colder and later than the rest of the state, which gives herbaceous peonies and intersectionals the winter rest they want. Expect blooms later in the season.
- Central Maryland: Herbaceous garden peonies and popular cultivars such as Sarah Bernhardt and Karl Rosenfeld are the usual choices, and bloom lands in May.
- Eastern Shore: Winters run milder here, so cold-hungry peonies may flower poorly. Bloom can begin from mid-April in the warmer parts of the state, so expect the season to start earlier there.
Wherever you live, check which part of the state’s 5b to 8a range your yard sits in before you buy.
Peony Buying Mistakes to Avoid in Maryland
Expecting Bloom in a Mild Spot
A peony that does not get enough winter cold may produce plenty of foliage but flower poorly. In warmer parts of the state, remember that flowering may be weaker when winters are mild.
Planting Too Deep
A peony planted too deep may bloom poorly or not come up at all. Keep the eyes near the soil surface when you set the root from September through October.
Expecting Flowers the First Spring
A newly planted or transplanted peony may not bloom the first spring, and buyers often take that as a failed plant. Give the roots time to settle. Peonies are long-lived, so patience is worthwhile.
Where to Get Peony Advice in Maryland
University of Maryland Extension answers plant questions for home gardeners across the state, and your county office can speak to local soil and conditions.
- The extension website has plant guides you can read before you shop, ideally in late summer ahead of fall planting.
- Your county extension office can answer questions about your yard, so call or visit before September.
Common Questions
When Should You Plant Peonies in Maryland?
September through October is the window for planting or dividing peonies. That gives the roots time to settle before winter.
When Do Peonies Bloom in Maryland?
May is the main bloom month. In the warmer parts of the state, flowers can open from mid-April, and June is also possible.
When Should You Cut Back Peonies in Maryland?
Cut herbaceous peonies back in November or December, after the foliage has died back. Early spring, March or April, also works. A tree peony keeps its woody stems and is never cut back.