Yes! Peonies are one of the lowest-maintenance perennials you can put in the ground. If you're in USDA zone 3–8, where most peony varieties grow, and you have a sunny spot, a peony will largely take care of itself.
Which can be hard to believe, because there are so many videos, Reddit threads, and gardeners out there offering peony advice that just getting started can feel overwhelming. I'm guilty of adding to that pile myself with all the tips and tricks I share.
So let's get back to basics. Here's what actually makes them so easy.
1. They come back every year
When winter is fading and the birds start singing, you can trust your peony to wake up and reach for the sun without any help from you at all.
2. They stay put
Unlike so many beautiful plants, peonies don't sprawl out of control, and they won't overtake your lawn and garden with hundreds of seedlings. They really are very respectful neighbors.
3. They need very little help
They rarely need watering once established, and after blooming they settle into being a pleasant green garden shrub for the rest of the summer. They just need sunshine.
4. They're fighters
Lawnmowers, car crashes, rambunctious neighbors, construction equipment. I've seen it all, and peonies just keep coming back for more.
5. Are peonies deer resistant?
Yes, and this one deserves its own heading, because it's the reason a lot of gardeners give up on everything else.
The fawns that visit my garden have eaten every vegetable I've grown and every hydrangea bloom I've ever had. Yet they stride gracefully through the peonies without taking a single nibble. Deer don't care for the foliage, which means you can plant peonies where nothing else survives.
I have so many more tips, tricks, and ideas to share, but at the end of the day the best thing you can do is dig a hole and plant a peony. They can live for a hundred years or more, and yours will make people smile for decades.
