Why Are There Ants on My Peony Flowers?
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Do peonies really need help from ants to bloom? Garden folklore says that ants “tickle the buds” to help the flowers open. Peonies and ants do have a mutually-beneficial relationship, but it’s not quite what you may think. Here’s the story about peonies and ants—plus, tips on how to bring peonies indoors without the ants.
In late spring, we rejoice in the breathtakingly beautiful peony blossoms. However, those of us with peonies in our garden may also notice the ants’ arrival, especially around the peony’s base or on unopened buds.
Are Ants Harmful to Peonies?
Let’s get this first question out of the way. No. Absolutely not. Don’t bother brushing off those ants—or, worse, breaking out the insecticide!
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Not only are ants NOT harmful, they are actually an example of biological mutualism. The peonies provide nectar (food) for the ants; the ants protect the peonies from aphids, thrips, and other non-beneficial insect pests.
Do Peonies Need Ants to Bloom?
The enduring myth is that peonies require ants to open their buds. You may have heard ants need to “tickle the buds” or “lick the sugar” for the peonies to bloom.
Nope. A peony will open beautifully without the presence of ants.
As with most folklore, there may have once been a hint of truth to this claim, but we haven’t seen evidence for it yet. (We also like this folklore because it keeps both peonies and ants alive, and allows nature to take its course!)
Why Ants Are Attracted to Peonies
Ants are simply attracted to the sugary droplets (nectar) which is present at the base of the green sepals that surround a peony bud. This is a great food source for ants, containing not only sugars, but also amino acids, lipids, and other organic compounds.
The ants are NOT eating the peonies. When a scout ant finds the nectar on the peony, she emits a pheromone or odor trail on the way back to her nest. At the nest, the scout alerts other ants of the food source. The recruited ants then follow the odor trail back to nectar on the peony flowers.
In turn, the ants actually provide the plant with some protection! While the ants are feeding on the nectar, they protect their food source by attacking other bud-eating pests by stinging, biting, or spraying them with acid and tossing them off the plant.
Also, the ants are temporary. Once the peony blossoms, the ants will leave the peony flower and move on to seek other food sources.
Again: If you do NOT have ants (perhaps you live on a rooftop), the peony blossoms would open regardless of the ants’ presence.
How to Get Rid of Ants on Peonies Before Bringing Indoors
We treasure our pink, red, and old-fashioned white peonies in the garden, but we also like to fill the house with their beauty and fragrance. However, how do we avoid bringing the ants inside, too?
There are a few methods:
- Cut the peony early in the morning when the dew is still heavy and most of the ants haven’t arrived. Hold the peonies by the stem just below the flower (so their head doesn’t snap off) and turn the flowers upside down. Give the flowers a few good taps on the stems just up from the flowers. This helps dislodge insects and arachnids. Use the amount of force appropriate for the stem.
- Fill a big bowl with cool water outside, then dip each peony bloom and watch the ants come out. Don’t fill the bowl too much, or they will be able to crawl out. Then gently shake/tap the water off the flower and put the stem into a ready vase so that they won’t pick up more ants. You can then release the ants and the water in the bowl back into nature.
Yet another method by professional growers is to cut the peony flowers before buds fully open. However, you need to cut the peony at the “marshmallow” stage (see picture above) in order for the buds to open indoors.
So now you know the story about ants and peonies! See the Almanac’s Peony Growing Guide for information on planting, varieties, and plant care.
Catherine Boeckmann
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When I was quite young, we hated the ants on our flowers. I sprayed the buds with insect spray.
Needless to say, they never opened up and remained the tight marbles on the stems. Mom was furious with me when I told her what I had done!
Why does my peony plant put out 3 blooms every year but the buds never open?
There are a couple common reasons why peony buds do not open. 1. Not enough sun. In partial to heavy shade, plants are weak and may not be able to supply adequate food to the developing buds. Transplant peonies to a sunny site in September. 2. The flower buds may have been damaged by a late freeze. While the plants themselves can tolerate a light freeze, the buds are more susceptible to cold injury. Unfortunately, little can be done to avoid this problem except be careful to select plants that fit your growing zone.
The last thing that the ants want to throw off of the peonies are aphids, because one of ants primary preferred foods is honeydew, which is really aphid poop. Get rid of the aphids, and your dinner is gone!
I have a couple of peony bushes planted in my half barrels- was worried they wouldn't like it. But this is about the 5th or 6th year and they keep coming back stronger every year -
love my "ant plants"
love my old fashioned peonies. seems when they are their most beautiful, we get a hard rain and they are gone. Wish they bloomed longer.
How does one control these plant eaters. Wife's going bananas trying to curtail them on her plants. Central New York, Rome...born & raised, Somers CT.
Try neem oil, mix the concentrate and spray as directed. I'm not going to just guess if you have genuine Japanese beetles of a particular type or June bugs -- they are not the same thing. But neem oil will affect their reproductive process regardless. It's a bit more "natural" than sprays and powders but may not make much of a dent in the population if there's a lot of them already. I've been fighting the Japanese lily beetle for going on four years now. They destroyed all my true lilies. Bloomed, but weak flowers, lasted barely a day, leaves mangled, spindly plants returning the next year. This year, I sprayed with neem oil very, very early in spring, just as the lilies emerged. Kept a watch. Ultimately caught 3 beetles, squished them. So far, no more. I'll find out soon if I managed to stop the reproduction before it reached a level that can't be contained. In fact, they get another spray tonight. (Don't use neem in the day.)
Japanese beetles might be June bugs; mix "water and dishwashing soap; few drops citrus oil;(opt.); spray on plants: shakes bugs from plants; esp. the roots; this is where the Japanese beetles "live";;(use only mild castile soap)
As a little girl, I always saw ants on my grandmother's peonies. She said they didn't cause any harm. Now that I have my own garden with peonies in honor of her, I fondly think of those long ago days when I see ants on my own peonies. They're just one of many different things I have growing that she also had in her yard. She loved gardening. If it hadn't been for her, those ants would have been gone long ago!
