Perennials · pruning calendar
When to prune peonies
Cut herbaceous peony foliage to the ground after a hard freeze has blackened it, usually late fall. Cutting in late summer or early fall can mean fewer flowers next year.
Peony pruning by month
| Climate | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coldzones 3–5 | January: Wait | February: Wait | March: Wait | April: Wait | May: Wait | June: Wait | July: Don’t prune now | August: Don’t prune now | September: Don’t prune now | October: Prune now | November: Prune now | December: Wait |
| Temperatezones 6–8 | January: Wait | February: Wait | March: Wait | April: Wait | May: Wait | June: Wait | July: Don’t prune now | August: Don’t prune now | September: Don’t prune now | October: Wait | November: Prune now | December: Prune now |
- Prune now
- Wait
- Don’t prune now
- Wait Nothing to prune. If you missed the fall cleanup, cut old stems in early spring before new shoots appear.
- Wait Snip off faded flowers, but leave the leaves.
- Don’t prune now The leaves are still feeding the roots for next year’s flowers. Cutting now can mean fewer blooms.
- Prune now Once a hard freeze has blackened the leaves, cut the stems near ground level.
- Wait Wait for a hard freeze to blacken the leaves first.
How to cut: Cut stems near ground level and remove the leaves from the bed to cut down on disease next spring.
Sources
Months are grouped into broad USDA zone bands, so local weather, elevation and the plant itself still have the final say.
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