Peony - No Buds or Bloom

last year

Hi Everyone - I’ve read a number of articles explaining reasons why Peonies do not generate buds and bloom, but I’m still uncertain which apply to me. I'm on LI, Zone 7. About 10 years ago I transplanted a couple peony from my previous home to my current. They bloomed in their previous location. In the new location, they never bloom despite getting plenty of sun – I would say over 6 hours per day of direct sunlight.

I divided them several years ago as they were very large - I now have a bunch of them spread across the property. None bloom. I finally want to figure out why and hopefully rectify it. I’m aware they don’t react well to transplanting and I believe all of the plants have been stationary for at least 3 years. Some much longer. To be honest, I do very little maintenance. I water occasionally, and in the late fall/early winter I cut them down. No fertilizers or anything else. I don’t believe any of these are planted too deep. We do have deer, but have not seen them grazing

They're getting large again and probably will need to be divided – If anyone has suggestions, it would be appreciated. Attaching a picture. Thank you in advance

Featured Answer

forever_a_newbie_VA8

last year

zooba, that is hardly embarassing at all. I had been attending a cactus plant my son bought for years, until I felt it had grown and needed repotting. Then I found out it was a fake plant. He said this was the only plant he did not kill

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Comments (20)

rosaprimula
last year
last modified: last year
That isn't a paeony. Wouldn't like to hazard a guess what it might be (dubious eyesight) but I am pretty certain someone will be along with an ID.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
Completely agree that that is not a peony!! Would need more detail/a closer photo for me to hazard a guess.

It looks very shrubby rather than herbaceous......
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forever_a_newbie_VA8
last year
I was also wondering. The leaves look very different from my peony or tree peony plants
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
its not a peony .... need better pix if you want an ID ..

and btw... peony bloom in late spring.. not august ...

ken
laceyvail 6A, WV
last year
Ditto, most certainly not a peony.
dbarron
last year
I'm with everyone else, if you got peony blooms from *that*, I'd be quite surprised.
zooba72
Original Author
last year
Well that's embarrassing - It's definitely possible that I confused things as I brought a lot of different plants over. I just took a close up - any thoughts on the identification of this ? I can take additional pics if necessary. Thank you
zooba72
Original Author
last year
Looking closer at the leaves, it almost looks like one of the white flower varieties of Hydrangea - Annabelle ?
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
It might be Deutzia scabra, a hardy deciduous shrub. Stop cutting it down and you should see flowers next spring. But it is a big thing and there may not be enough space there for it.
functionthenlook
last year
Looks like a hydrangea to me also.
zooba72
Original Author
last year
Yes, definitely will leave it alone this fall/winter and see what happens next.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
We have little sense of the size of the leaves. I thought they were no more than a couple of inches. was I wrong?
rosaprimula
last year
I had vaguely thought of philadelphus. If it is annually pruned, it would explain the lack of flowers since philadelphus flowers on the older wood. Pffft! absolutely no need to feel embarrassed - who amongst us has not lovingly nurtured what turned out to be a nasty weed? My latest was yet another willowherb. And I went for years, chopping off the flowering wood from a clematis.

I am a bit hopeless at screen idents and, as already been mentioned, scale is hard to judge.
zooba72
Original Author
last year
The leaves are definitely small. I'm going to pay closer attention to it and provide more water. Like many others, we've had a very hot dry summer, and I've provided very little supplemental water to these plants. And I do see signs that the deer have feasted upon them.

I'm leaning toward Annabelle Hydrangea

Thanks again for all of the responses !
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
I am not very familiar with Anabelle but aren’t those leaves too small?
forever_a_newbie_VA8
last year
last modified: last year
I have Anabelle hydrangea. Your plant does not look like it. The leaves should be much bigger, and the shrub not so compact. If your plant were Anabelle sure it would have bloomed with big white global flowers in spring over 10 years time and you definitely would not have missed them. I tend to think your plant might be one that either do not bloom or the blooms are small that you have not noticed. This is my Anabelle
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
last modified: last year
I agree on leaf size but I don’t think the lack of blooms is an identifying trait. OP said they cut the shrub down at the end of every year. That would stop many shrubs from flowering and would make any shrub compact.
forever_a_newbie_VA8
last year
Floral you could be right. I did not notice OP mentioning cutting down the shrub. Annabelle would bloom on new growth but if pruning heavily precious year it might still affect blooming.
Embothrium
last year
OP (Original Picture) looks significantly deer browsed to me. With shoots in shot with tape looking like hydrangea - discontinue hard pruning, try caging one or more of them and seeing what happens - a hydrangea should not normally be so dense and twiggy. And of course flowerless.
zooba72 thanked Embothrium