Tree Peony is grown for its root. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 8 and stands up to deer. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees, even though the root is the prize.
Tree Peony — the short answer
Tree Peony: grown in zones 4–8, part sun.
- USDA zones
- 4–8
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Tree Peony on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether tree peony actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score tree peony against your land's real conditions.
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What Tree Peony is
Tree Peony reaches around five feet at maturity. It blooms in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Tree Peony
Tree Peony grows in USDA zones 4 through 8. Tree Peony does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day.
USDA Zones
4-8
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
Data pending
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
Data pending
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Sow directly
Sow tree peony seed straight into the bed — root crops germinate fast and resent transplanting. Give them part sun.
Match the soil
Pull a soil test from your local Extension lab to confirm pH and drainage match tree peony's needs before planting.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Harvest at maturity
Pull while roots are young and tender — sweeter than oversized ones. Local Cooperative Extension guides publish timing tables.
Where Tree Peony thrives
Tree Peony is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 4–8 spans average winter lows from -30°F to 20°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 25 outright and splits 26 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 4–8·Where Tree Peony growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Tree Peony stands, state by state
Tree Peony is rated for zones 4–8 — a cold floor USDA puts at -30 to -20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 25 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 26 more, and 0 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 4–8
25 states
3 of 25 shown
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Tree Peony
Growing guides for tree peony
In rotation planning, tree peony counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — tree peony is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Tree Peony offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Tree Peony's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Tree Peony will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether tree peony actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Tree Peony
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Tree Peony in my zone?
Tree Peony grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Tree Peony?
Time tree peony to your own season rather than the calendar. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Tree Peony need?
Tree Peony does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Tree Peony need?
Specific pH data for tree peony is pending. A soil test from your local Extension lab confirms what your site needs.
Does Tree Peony attract pollinators?
Yes — tree peony's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees.
Is Tree Peony safe for pets?
Tree Peony is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring Tree Peony
Tree Peony state by state
Every state tree peony's zone reaches — 1 link straight to that state's tree peony growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.