Supporting Peony Plants with Cages

I love growing peony plants and and enjoying them in my garden and as a cut flower. Peonies take patience as few flower the first year, but they are worth the wait because they will flower and thrive for 20 years or more. They bloom early in the season, (late spring or early summer depending on your location), and they boast big, beautiful blooms. However, their tall stems can tend to flop over due the size and weight of the flowers. The easiest way to solve this problem is by using a peony cage.

You can find cages in most any garden center and use them year after year. They are a good investment to make if you plan to grow peonies. The key to successfully caging peonies is to start caging early and get them on before the leaves really open up (see photo above). If you are late getting your peonies caged, you can still easily guide the plant through the cage holes, but it takes a little more care and effort.

As the peonies grow, they will grow into the cage, making your blooms stand straighter and keep them off the ground. The few minutes it takes to cage a peony will give you the best results for your garden peonies. Learn more about peonies in our garden guide.