{"id":213469,"date":"2025-06-02T14:14:50","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/?p=213469"},"modified":"2025-06-04T10:59:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T14:59:12","slug":"do-ants-really-help-peonies-bloom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/do-ants-really-help-peonies-bloom","title":{"rendered":"Do Ants Really Help Peonies Bloom?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Every peony season\u2014a short, glorious window from early May to late June\u2014those who grow and buy bouquets of this luxurious flower will inevitably notice a gathering of ants on the buds. Take to the internet and you\u2019ll find any number of competing explanations, including one alleging that the insects help a peony bloom. So what\u2019s the deal with ants and peonies? To get to the bottom of this common gardening query, I turned to the only flower farmer with whom I am on a first-name basis: my mom.<\/p>\n\n\n<!-- Promo shortcode start --><div id=\"nlf-1c\" class=\"gg-promo topic-weddings big\"><div class=\"grid\"><div class=\"title\">Get G&G Weddings<\/div><div class=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/promos\/weddings-big.jpg\" alt=\"decorated wedding table\"><\/div><div class=\"right\"><form id=\"nlf-1\" method=\"post\" class=\"form\" action=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/newsletters\/\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"gg_form_submit\" value=\"nlf-1\"><div class=\"dek\">Sign up to be among the first to know about G&amp;G Weddings&mdash;a new digital offering launching November 1.<\/div><div class=\"action two-items\"><div class=\"input-left\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"email\" class=\"email-input\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"you@example.com\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"group_id\" value=\"150868468\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"shortcode_form\" value=\"nlf-1\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"prev_page_id\" value=\"213469\"><\/div><div class=\"gform_footer\"><button class=\"g-recaptcha button button-primary after-email\" data-sitekey=\"6Lc-hRkaAAAAAI84hbB81Jl48pGievR_C_UgHdnY\" data-callback=\"on_submit_nlf_1\" data-action=\"submit\">Sign Up<\/button><script>function on_submit_nlf_1(token) {document.getElementById(\"nlf-1\").submit();}<\/script><\/div><\/div><div class=\"captcha-terms\"><p>This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p><\/div><\/form><\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- Promo shortcode end -->\n\n\n\n<p>On a small farm in western New Jersey\u2014a stone\u2019s throw from where Washington crossed the Delaware River\u2014my mother, Anna, grows a little over six hundred peony plants. While most of them get sold in brown paper bundles for a late-spring soiree or purchased by florists, plenty make their way inside our home, where I inevitably find the occasional black speck marching along the bookshelf or crawling on a side table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I called on her master gardener knowledge and extensive library of peony literature to address the ant enigma. \u201cIt\u2019s the number one reservation people have when bringing peonies indoors,\u201d she said. After corralling the guinea hens and loading a batch of freshly cut stems onto the farm stand, she gave me the scoop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"733\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC_1692-1100x733.jpeg\" alt=\"A garden with peonies\" class=\"wp-image-213471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC_1692-1100x733.jpeg 1100w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC_1692-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC_1692-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC_1692-1600x1067.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\" \/><figcaption class=\"image-credit\" style=\"text-align:right;\">photo: Anna Roberts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>First things first: \u201cPeonies will open up with or without ants.\u201d Ants are always on the hunt for something sweet, she explained, and just so happen to find what they\u2019re looking for on peony buds. The flower\u2019s sepals\u2014protective green segments that keep the petals held tight while the peony is still a bud\u2014secrete a sugary sap ants can\u2019t resist. Because the buds open quickly, the insects tend to get lost in the abundant petals and accidentally end up in your bouquet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it may be a myth that ants are essential to a peony\u2019s life cycle, the two make a great pair. \u201cIt&#8217;s actually a mutually beneficial relationship,\u201d my mom said. \u201cThe ants feed off of the peony\u2019s nectar while also protecting it from threats like beetles and other insects.\u201d So while they might seem like a blight on your romantic blooms, ants can in fact help the plant stay healthy and intact.<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-6138976\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad mobile inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-6823577\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad tablet inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-2747927\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad desktop inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC_7361-734x1100.jpeg\" alt=\"A basket of peonies\" class=\"wp-image-213472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC_7361-734x1100.jpeg 734w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC_7361-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC_7361-768x1151.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC_7361-801x1200.jpeg 801w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><figcaption class=\"image-credit\" style=\"text-align:right;\">photo: Anna Roberts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For those who relish peony season but are ant-averse, she suggests giving the blooms a quick dunk in a bucket of water before tucking them into a vase. You may still find a straggler or two, but don\u2019t fear inviting an infestation\u2014those that do make it inside will be more concerned with consuming what\u2019s left of the sap and so few in number they\u2019re unlikely to draw a small army to your kitchen counter. As my mom said, \u201cIt would be such a shame to miss out on the splendor of peonies just because of a few ants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<!-- Promo shortcode start --><div id=\"nlf-2c\" class=\"gg-promo topic-weddings big\"><div class=\"grid\"><div class=\"title\">Get G&G Weddings<\/div><div class=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/promos\/weddings-big.jpg\" alt=\"decorated wedding table\"><\/div><div class=\"right\"><form id=\"nlf-2\" method=\"post\" class=\"form\" action=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/newsletters\/\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"gg_form_submit\" value=\"nlf-2\"><div class=\"dek\">Sign up to be among the first to know about G&amp;G Weddings&mdash;a new digital offering launching November 1.<\/div><div class=\"action two-items\"><div class=\"input-left\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"email\" class=\"email-input\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"you@example.com\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"group_id\" value=\"150868468\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"shortcode_form\" value=\"nlf-2\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"prev_page_id\" value=\"213469\"><\/div><div class=\"gform_footer\"><button class=\"g-recaptcha button button-primary after-email\" data-sitekey=\"6Lc-hRkaAAAAAI84hbB81Jl48pGievR_C_UgHdnY\" data-callback=\"on_submit_nlf_2\" data-action=\"submit\">Sign Up<\/button><script>function on_submit_nlf_2(token) {document.getElementById(\"nlf-2\").submit();}<\/script><\/div><\/div><div class=\"captcha-terms\"><p>This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p><\/div><\/form><\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- Promo shortcode end -->\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getting the dirt on these frequent backyard bedfellows<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":213470,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-06-02T18:15:05Z","apple_news_api_id":"0101c5b0-ed6a-438c-a37e-dc7919a36aff","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-06-02T18:15:05Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AAQHFsO1qQ4yjftx5GaNq_w","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2395,1782],"tags":[220,20,30280],"authors":[30499],"issue":[],"recipe-type":[],"class_list":["post-213469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gardens","category-home-and-garden","tag-flowers","tag-gardens","tag-whats-new","authors-grace-roberts"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.4 (Yoast SEO v25.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Do Ants Really Help Peonies Bloom? &#8211; 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