Diseased peony - Ask Extension
Hi! I am curious if you can tell me whether something is wrong with this peony or not. A friend suggested it might be diseased and it also did not blo...
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Diseased peony #803135
Asked July 26, 2022, 1:54 PM EDT
Hi! I am curious if you can tell me whether something is wrong with this peony or not. A friend suggested it might be diseased and it also did not bloom at all this year.
Thanks!
Hamilton County Ohio
Expert Response
Hello,
Your peony definitely does not look healthy and the cause could be a combination of factors. At this time of year, peony leaves are generally dark green and glossy. Fungal spots are common on peony leaves but typically develop much later in the season as the leaves are beginning to fade.
It’s hard to tell from your photo but it looks like there may be some tree roots surrounding your plant. If this is the case it could be impacting the peony roots and crown as well as depriving the peony of adequate moisture. The soil also looks rather depleted. Peonies prefer rich, loamy soil with good drainage, so the location of this plant could be a primary problem leading to the disease causing yellowing and spots. In this case, it would be better to relocate the plant to a more suitable area rather than try to treat it for disease caused by a bad planting site.
The lack of flowers on your peony could be a sign of insufficient nutrition, not enough sun, or improper pruning. Bud blast is fairly common with peonies but this occurs to the buds that have formed on a flowering stem. I see no evidence on your plant that it produced a flowering stalk so this may indicate one of the other causes I mentioned above. You don’t say how old the plant is or if it has bloomed in the past, but young plants often take several years to mature enough to produce blooms. Also, if the crown is planted too deeply or the leaves are cut back too early, before the crown has had a chance to set buds for next season, this can also affect flower production.
I found a couple of good resources from the Missouri Botanic Garden about problems with peonies which may help you diagnose your problem. There are also general tips for peony care in the links embedded within the article.
This link covers the most common diseases that can affect peonies.
I think your photo looks most like Peony Blotch which is described in more detail in this link
This article from Ohio State has additional information on peony problems and care.
An important horticultural practice to remember with peonies is that when leaves are cut back in the fall (typically October) they should be removed completely and destroyed to prevent fungal disease from persisting onto next year’s growth.
Your peony definitely does not look healthy and the cause could be a combination of factors. At this time of year, peony leaves are generally dark green and glossy. Fungal spots are common on peony leaves but typically develop much later in the season as the leaves are beginning to fade.
It’s hard to tell from your photo but it looks like there may be some tree roots surrounding your plant. If this is the case it could be impacting the peony roots and crown as well as depriving the peony of adequate moisture. The soil also looks rather depleted. Peonies prefer rich, loamy soil with good drainage, so the location of this plant could be a primary problem leading to the disease causing yellowing and spots. In this case, it would be better to relocate the plant to a more suitable area rather than try to treat it for disease caused by a bad planting site.
The lack of flowers on your peony could be a sign of insufficient nutrition, not enough sun, or improper pruning. Bud blast is fairly common with peonies but this occurs to the buds that have formed on a flowering stem. I see no evidence on your plant that it produced a flowering stalk so this may indicate one of the other causes I mentioned above. You don’t say how old the plant is or if it has bloomed in the past, but young plants often take several years to mature enough to produce blooms. Also, if the crown is planted too deeply or the leaves are cut back too early, before the crown has had a chance to set buds for next season, this can also affect flower production.
I found a couple of good resources from the Missouri Botanic Garden about problems with peonies which may help you diagnose your problem. There are also general tips for peony care in the links embedded within the article.
This link covers the most common diseases that can affect peonies.
I think your photo looks most like Peony Blotch which is described in more detail in this link
This article from Ohio State has additional information on peony problems and care.
An important horticultural practice to remember with peonies is that when leaves are cut back in the fall (typically October) they should be removed completely and destroyed to prevent fungal disease from persisting onto next year’s growth.
