Peonies in Warmer Climates: Varieties & Tips for Success

Peonies typically need a significant number of chill hours (500-1000 hours below 45°F) in winter to set buds and bloom well. However, some varieties have shown promise in warmer zones (Zone 8–9+), where chill hours are limited. While results can vary due to local conditions and growing practices, certain varieties consistently perform better with reduced chilling.

For Southern Growers

Tips & Tricks

Planting depth

Shallow planting is essential. Ensure buds (eyes) are no deeper than 1" below the soil surface to maximize exposure to cooler temperatures.

Choosing the right location

Choose the coldest microclimate available in your growing area - aim for spots where frost lingers longest in winter or where cold air naturally settles.

watering

Avoid overwatering, especially in clay soils, or underwatering in sandy soils; irregular irrigation and flooding can stress plants. Remember peonies need water in the hottest, driest months of summer.

Monitoring

Watch for disease. Inadequate chill may stress plants and lead to higher susceptibility to fungal issues like botrytis, rust, leaf spot and powdery mildew. Cut down and dispose of any infected material at the end of the season (do not compost) to reduce spore transmission. A broad-spectrum fungicide in early spring while the peonies are growing can help prevent many of these common peony diseases.

Experiment

Start with small-scale trials. Plant a few different varieties to see what works best in your specific location.

Varieties More Likely to Succeed in Warmer Climates

Based on both anecdotal experience and grower feedback, the following varieties demonstrate strong potential in low-chill environments. As you will see, many of these varieties are the earliest bloomers, but not all fall into this subcategory.

While peonies remain a challenging crop in Zones 9 and warmer, these varieties and methods offer hope for success with some experimentation and care.

Peony Early Sensation

This variety is one of the first to bloom with fresh pale yellow to cream semi-double flowers. A choice newer variety that is quickly gaining popularity in Europe - still relatively unknown and difficult to find in the US. A perk for southern growers - this variety may adapt better to warmer winter climates.

Peony Early Sensation (3/5 eye, 50 roots)

$699.00

Product variants

Peony Bowl of Cream

Incredibly large, fully double flowers open in shades of cream and fade to milk-white as they mature. Although only slightly fragrant, these flowers can reach 12 inches in diameter and are absolutely packed with delicately ruffled petals.

Peony Bowl of Cream (3/5 eye, 50 roots)

$662.00

Product variants

Peony Coral Beach (King's Day)

An Orange peony? This is the closest you're going to get. Coral Beach, or King's Day, is in the same grouping as the better known Coral Charm and Coral Sunset, but this variety starts off as a rich salmon-orange which gradually fades to creamy peach. This pastel beauty is a semi-double, showing a disk of golden stamens when fully open. As with all coral varieties, King's Day blooms early in the season and on strong stems, the only thing lacking is that delicious peony fragrance.

Peony Coral Beach (3/5 eye, 40 roots)

$763.00

Product variants

Peony Vanilla Schnapps

Gorgeous, semi-double to fully-double, creamy yellow blooms come early in the season on strong, vigorous plants. Mature plants typically show the fully double blooms while young plants will have semi-double blooms. Flowers emit a sweet fragrant and have beautifully arranged, rounded petals. This early-season bloomer is a great candidate for southern growers. This premium cultivar is widely regarded as one of the best double yellow varieties on the market today.

Peony Vanilla Schnapps (3/5 eye, 50 roots)

$2,645.00

Product variants

Peony Coral Sunset

Coral Sunset is large and semidouble, opening a bright coral pink and fading to a soft pastel salmon and finally creamy yellow over the course of a few days. Coral Sunset has a fuller flower compared to Coral Charm, giving it excellent shape and substance. A must-have for any peony field.

Peony Coral Sunset (3/5 eye, 40 roots)

$413.00

Product variants

Peony Sunny Girl

Yellow is a hard color to come by in herbaceous peonies, but Sunny Girl lives up to her name with large, joyful, buttery yellow blooms early in the season. Flowers can be double or semi double (younger plants often exhibit semi-double flowers while mature plants churn out fully double flowers) and are often regarded as one of the most fully double yellow varieties out there. Flowers come early in the season and are mildly fragrant; plants are strong and vigorous and have the tendancy to mature quickly. Due to the early blooming nature of this variety, it's a good candidate for southern growers.

Peony Sunny Girl (3/5 eye, 50 roots)

$774.00 Sold Out

Product variants

Peony Clair de Lune

Is this a giant poppy, or a peony? At the center of this unique beauty is a thick, vibrant disk of incredibly shaggy, golden stamens which makes a real statement. The outer row of guard petals is a delicate creamy white; there isn't another peony on the market quite like it! Plants are vigorous and extremely floriferous, and flowers arrive extra early in the season. This is a great candidate for southern growers.

Peony Clair de Lune (3/5 eye, 50 roots)

$619.00 Sold Out

Product variants

Peony Colonel Owens Cousins

This is a highly coveted peony, and for good reason. Massive single buds open to reveal fluffy layers of peachy white petals that appear to glow from within. Early flowering and beautifully scented, there isn't another variety out there with this unique coloration. As the petals age to cream, the peach glow can still be seen eminating from the base of the petals. WOW.

Peony Colonel Owens Cousins (3/5 eye, 50 roots)

$2,458.00

Product variants

Peony Etched Salmon

Flowering early to mid season, this gold medal winning beauty has a bit of a cult following. The soft salmon to coral flowers have the shape of a giant symmetrical garden rose and the color simply glows with a silver cast. This is one of the most sought after peonies on the market today.

Peony Etched Salmon (3/5 eye, 50 roots)

$2,752.00 Sold Out

Product variants

Peony Alertie

Alertie is a fully double peony with a fluffy inner pompom surrounded by broad outer petals. Sweetly fragrant and early flowering, this variety can be variably hued from near white to medium pink. Although on the shorter side, it is quite floriferous and will produce lots of stems for cutting.

Peony Alertie (3/5 eye, 50 roots)

$373.00

Product variants

Peony Lemon Chiffon

We don't know if you're ready for the beauty that is Lemon Chiffon - impressively large, semi- to fully-double lemon yellow flowers with petals that ruffle and swirl, reminiscent of a garden rose. Widely known as one of the best yellow herbaceous peony, this is variety is slightly more compact and will stay upright in wind and rain.

Peony Lemon Chiffon (3/5 eye, 50 roots)

$1,631.00

Product variants

Peony Monsieur Jules Elie

A French variety from the 1800's, this cultivar has truly stood the test of time with its fully double flowers, packed with ruffly rose-pink petals. Highly fragrant, with petals that take on a silver sheen as they age.