Success With Peonies In Charleston, SC?

Has anyone out there ever successfully grown peonies in Charleston, SC?

I've tried a number of times and have had no luck at all .. it's just way too hot here. I was so desperate to get one to grow and bloom I was dumping ice water on it in the summer. They ultimately just faded away.

If anyone knows of a species that can take the heat, please let me know.

X

Hi X,

Thanks for letting me know about your efforts and results. I do know that much research, including both privately and and at universities, has been focused in recent years on both determining which of existing cultivars might be able to withstand the heat, humidity, and lack of chill to bloom in the deep south and developing new cultivars that meet these requirements. I'm told new cultivars may be on the horizon. Charleston, SC was mentioned by name as being within the boundary of areas targeted by this research, so that sounds promising. Experiments are also being done with Mediterranean varieties to see if any of them might work here.

The photo above is one which has actually bloomed for me (although not reliably) here in the city of Charleston where that photo was taken. The plant is still alive and is small but has only bloomed once in some 4 years. I have managed to coax blooms out of one other variety, Gay Paree. Yet a 3rd variety set buds one year but the buds dried up before opening. Gay Paree actually produces buds most years, but they, too, usually dry up before opening.

In my research, I found that their are 2 parts to this problem: (1) the lack of winter chill hours and (2) the tremendous heat and humidity. Problem #1 keeps peonies from setting buds, while Problem #2 causes prevents the full development of any buds which are produced.

Your efforts in applying ice were, of course, an attempt to resolve Problem #1. As you probably know, we are also directed to plant with the eyes very close to the surface of the ground in an effort to mitigate this problem by increasing root exposure to existing cold temperatures. I conducted some experiments along this line, planting some with eyes 1" down as directed, some 1/2" down, some with eyes at soil level, and 1 with eyes entirely above ground. I also put 2 in pots to see what effect this might have on the problem. I knew that by planting with buds actually exposed, I was exacerbating Problem #2, but still I wanted to see how this would effect Problem #1.

Those that were below and level with the soil never set buds in 4yrs. Pink Swan, which bloomed once, but has not set buds since, was planted with the eyes protruding from the ground. This increases the root's exposure to winter cold but also to the effects of summer heat. Gay Paree, which bloomed once and has set buds most other years only to have them shrivel in the heat, is planted in a large pot where its root's exposure to the cold (and to subsequent heat) is amplified further still. The 3rd variety which produced buds but never bloomed was also in a pot. From my experiments the pot method seems to use existing cold to best advantage and produce the best results in terms of encouraging buds; however, as stated, it has the disadvantage of amplifying the effects of heat (Problem #2) and is more likely to cause the buds to shrivel before opening.

Problem #2 is best mitigated by choosing cultivars which bloom very early and by choosing singles. Very early bloomers have the best chance of getting their buds to open before the summer heat gets too high, that is, if you can get past the hurdle posed by Problem #1 and get them to set buds. I have actually not done any research with early and very early varieties or with singles. I have my heart set on full double pinks along the lines of Sarah Bernhardt, and early and very early varieties tend be either red or white, mostly singles. Pink Swan and Gay Paree, both of which have bloomed for me though not at all reliably, are mid and mid to late varieties which explains my problem with buds drying up before opening.

It's too late this year, but if all goes well, I think I may experiment with some of the very early varieties next year just to see how that goes. I'm not sure I will be satisfied with those varieties though even if they do bloom here, but it's worth a try. If I have any success at all I will let you know. Also, if I hear anything regarding new varieties with better hopes of blooming in the south, I will pass that on as well. I am also experimenting with tree peonies and have had better results with them so far.

Thanks again for your help.

I live in Orangeburg, SC, 70 inland from Charleston and grow peonies sucessfully. I'm in zone 8a. I am told that the early bloomers, especially Festiva Maxima, are the way to go. Otherwise, you get bud blast. I'm finding that the singles can be grown sucessfully, if given shade and kept moist in the heat of the summer. Sometimes, by the end of the summer, the leaves look a little tattered, but that's a small price for the beautiful fragrant blooms you get to enjoy in the spring. Someone also mentioned growing them in pots, as the soil will get a little colder than in the ground. I hope this encourages you to keep trying. They are definitely worth the effort. Oh, BTW, plant with they eyes right at the soil surface, so that they can get as much chill as possible.

Hi Deebie,

All very good information. Thank you very much. Do you grow Festiva Maxima? Can you tell me the names of any of the ones you grow successfully?

If this weather keeps up all of us in the lowcountry will be growing peonies. Brrrrrrr

Indeed .. I have a horrible feeling I'm going to lose a lot of plants.

Hi, ardesia,

Unfortunately, although the intense winter cold will likely cause peonies here to form buds, there is a good chance the equally intense summer heat will cause the buds to shrivel before they open. This is what happened with my peonies this past spring. I was sure I would get blooms after that cold winter we had last year, but while it has been colder lately in winter, it has been just as hot or hotter in summer. Both are poison for peony blooms. Can't win.

X,

What kind of plants are you afraid of loosing? I think everything in my yard can take the cold pretty well. The blooms of my pink and white camellias sometimes turn brown if hit by cold, but the darker colors don't even miss a step regardless.

I have a split-leaf philly (houseplant) in a large pot on my driveway. It has been out there year round now for 10yrs - and I never cover it either. I thought it might die last year when we had the snow and such, but quite to my amazement, it did fine.

I think it stays a bit warmer here though. The other day I saw (DNR page) that the historic low for Summerville was -5F! Did you know that? I've lived in the area all my life, and that came as news to me. Wow! It happened in the 1890's or so. Moncks Corner had a single digit low in the mid 1900's (6F, I think), but Summerville took the award for the tri-county area for lows.

Hope your plants will be ok.

Xeranthemum, I hope we don't lose plants, again. I lost several marginally hardy plants with the February freeze and snow. I am mulching heavily to protect the ones I have left.

Dream, I have 1 Festiva Maxima that I planted last year. Hopefully, it will bloom in the spring (it takes about 2 to 3 years to bloom). I have a NOID deep pink double, Sarah Barnhardt, Bowl of Beauty, Ms. America and Felix Crouse. Everyone who sees them, falls in love with them. The doubles need to be staked, especially if it rains, as the flowers get too heavy and flop. Voles dined on my NOID pink double this past winter. This spring I only got a couple of small shoots, so it will be several years before it re-grows and blooms. Bummer.

These plants must not be mulched during the winter and have to bloom before June.

I'm just worried about all the plants with shallow root systems like the gingers and colocasia/alocasia. A solid week and more to come of hard freeze is pushing it.

Thanks, X,

I don't think I have any of those. I think it may have been a ginger that I lost a few years back. Not sure if it was due to cold or bad 'parenting'.

Seen any snow? My weather forecast has a snow alert. Says we may see some flurries overnight but it's not expected to stick. It's 37 here at the moment so not very favorable for snow.

Gingers are what I lost last winter. This year I mulched them heavily in hopes that they'll be okay. No mention of snow here.

I never saw any sign of snow flakes here either, and there is none on the ground now. If there were any overnight flurries, I missed them. The snow alert has been removed from Charleston weather, as we are supposed to be sunny all day today.

Good idea with the mulch.

Pot them up and take them in and out. I love those flowers. Have some in Raleigh that I have not moved yet. Hope they aren't frozen

Lavina

Speaking of ginger bulbs, I recently received some in a delayed trade. I was told to plant them and mulch heavily. But remembering the ones that I lost last year, I didn't have the heart to plant them out. The trader sent a variety and I don't really know what all she sent. I will pot them up instead and plant them out in the spring. Thanks for the suggestion.