Peonies, with their lush, opulent blooms, are a cornerstone of any garden. Their beauty is undeniable, but even the most stunning flowers can benefit from thoughtful companionship. Choosing the right plants to pair with peonies can elevate your garden, adding layers of color, texture, and form that make the entire space feel more harmonious and balanced.
Classic Companion Plants for Peonies
The Timeless Pair: Peonies and Roses
Roses and peonies are a match made in garden heaven. Both are classic, romantic flowers that offer show-stopping blooms in complementary forms. The upright growth of roses contrasts beautifully with the rounded, bushy form of peonies, creating a lush, layered effect. When selecting roses as peony companions, consider their bloom times—early-blooming roses can extend the flowering season in your garden, while later varieties can take over once the peonies fade.
Lavender and Peonies: A Fragrant and Colorful Duo
Lavender is an ideal companion for peonies, offering both visual and aromatic appeal. The silvery foliage of lavender provides a striking contrast to the deep green leaves of peonies, while the spikes of purple flowers add vertical interest. Lavender's fragrance is an added bonus, creating a sensory experience that enhances the enjoyment of your garden. Additionally, lavender’s ability to thrive in well-drained soil and full sun aligns perfectly with the needs of peonies.
Delphiniums and Peonies: Adding Height and Drama to Your Garden
For a touch of drama and height, pair peonies with delphiniums. These tall, spiky flowers provide a vertical counterpoint to the rounded form of peonies, drawing the eye upward and adding depth to your garden design. The cool blues, purples, and whites of delphiniums contrast beautifully with the warm tones of many peony varieties, creating a dynamic color palette. Delphiniums also thrive in similar growing conditions, making them easy companions for peonies.
Perennial Companions for Peonies
Daylilies: Easygoing Partners for Peonies
Daylilies are low-maintenance perennials that make excellent companions for peonies. Their grassy foliage provides a textural contrast, and their bright, trumpet-shaped flowers add a burst of color after the peonies have finished blooming. Daylilies are also adaptable to a wide range of soil and light conditions, making them a versatile choice for filling in gaps around peony beds.
Hostas: Perfect Foliage Contrast for Peonies
Hostas are known for their lush, broad leaves that come in a variety of colors and patterns. When planted near peonies, hostas provide a stunning foliage contrast, especially when you choose varieties with variegated or blue-green leaves. Hostas thrive in partial shade, making them an ideal choice for planting at the edges of peony beds where they can enjoy a bit of shade from the taller plants.
Astilbes: Complementing Peonies with Feathery Blooms
Astilbes are perennials with feathery, plume-like flowers that offer a delicate contrast to the bold blooms of peonies. Their soft, airy appearance complements the lush, rounded form of peonies, and they thrive in similar conditions—moist, well-drained soil and partial shade. Astilbes also provide color throughout the summer, extending the visual interest in your garden after the peonies have finished their show.
Annuals that Shine with Peonies
Sweet Alyssum: A Delicate Groundcover with Peonies
Sweet alyssum is a charming, low-growing annual that works wonderfully as a ground cover around peonies. Its tiny white, pink, or purple flowers form a carpet of color that complements the larger peony blooms. Sweet alyssum is also known for its sweet fragrance, which can enhance the sensory appeal of your garden. Plant it along the edges of your peony bed or between plants to fill in gaps and suppress weeds.
Marigolds: Brightening Up the Peony Bed
Marigolds are bright, cheerful annuals that add a splash of color to any garden. Their warm tones of yellow, orange, and red create a vibrant contrast with the cool, pastel hues of many peony varieties. Marigolds are also known for their pest-repelling properties, making them a practical companion for peonies. They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, just like peonies, making them an easy addition to your garden.
Snapdragons: Adding Vertical Interest to Your Peony Display
Snapdragons are versatile annuals that add height and structure to a peony bed. Their tall spikes of colorful flowers stand out against the rounded forms of peonies, creating a layered effect that draws the eye. Snapdragons come in a wide range of colors, allowing you to choose shades that either complement or contrast with your peonies. They also bloom for an extended period, providing color long after peonies have finished flowering.
Bulbs to Plant with Peonies
Tulips and Peonies: A Springtime Spectacle
Tulips and peonies together create a breathtaking springtime display. Planting early-blooming tulips alongside peonies ensures a seamless transition from one blooming season to the next. The upright form of tulips complements the bushier habit of peonies, while the combination of colors and textures adds depth to your garden. When selecting tulip varieties, consider those with complementary colors to your peonies for a harmonious effect.
Alliums: Tall, Architectural Companions for Peonies
Alliums, with their tall, spherical blooms, provide a striking architectural contrast to the soft, rounded flowers of peonies. These late-spring to early-summer bloomers extend the flowering season in your garden and add a touch of drama with their unique form. Alliums are also deer-resistant and easy to grow, making them a low-maintenance companion for peonies. Their ability to thrive in well-drained soil and full sun aligns perfectly with peony care requirements.
Daffodils: Early Bloomers that Prepare the Stage for Peonies
Daffodils are early-blooming bulbs that can be planted around peonies to create a layered, continuous display of color in your garden. As one of the first flowers to bloom in spring, daffodils signal the start of the growing season and provide a cheerful contrast to the emerging peony shoots. Their bright yellow and white flowers stand out against the deep green foliage of peonies, and their compact form ensures they won’t overshadow the larger peony blooms that follow.
Shrubs that Pair Well with Peonies
Hydrangeas: Creating a Lush, Romantic Garden with Peonies
Hydrangeas and peonies together create a lush, romantic garden setting. The large, round flower heads of hydrangeas echo the form of peonies, while their long bloom time extends the visual appeal of your garden. Plant hydrangeas behind peonies to create a backdrop of color and texture, or intersperse them throughout your garden for a cottage-style effect. Hydrangeas thrive in partial shade and moist, well-drained soil, making them an excellent companion for peonies in similar conditions.
Boxwoods: Neat, Evergreen Edges Around Peony Beds
Boxwoods are versatile, evergreen shrubs that provide structure and formality to a peony garden. Their dense, compact growth habit makes them ideal for creating neat borders around peony beds or for planting as low hedges that frame your garden. Boxwoods also offer year-round interest with their rich green foliage, which contrasts beautifully with the bright blooms of peonies in spring and summer.
Lilacs: Fragrant Shrubs that Complement Peony Blooms
Lilacs are beloved for their intoxicating fragrance and beautiful, clustered flowers. When planted near peonies, lilacs can create a garden filled with fragrance and charm. The soft purple, pink, or white blooms of lilacs complement the rich colors of peonies, while their height and structure add depth to your garden design. Lilacs prefer full sun and well-drained soil, making them a good match for peony growing conditions.
Groundcovers and Low-Growing Plants for Peony Beds
Creeping Phlox: A Carpet of Color Beneath Peonies
Creeping phlox is a low-growing, spreading plant that forms a carpet of color beneath peonies. Its vibrant blooms in shades of pink, purple, and white create a beautiful ground cover that contrasts with the larger peony flowers. Creeping phlox is also excellent for suppressing weeds and stabilizing soil, making it a practical choice for filling in gaps in your peony beds. Plant it along the edges or between peony plants to add color and texture to the base of your garden.
Lamb’s Ear: Soft, Silvery Foliage to Highlight Peony Blooms
Lamb’s ear is a perennial known for its soft, velvety, silver-gray leaves that provide a striking contrast to the lush green foliage of peonies. This low-growing plant forms a dense mat of foliage that highlights the vibrant colors of peony blooms. Lamb’s ear thrives in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, making it a perfect companion for peonies. Its drought-tolerant nature also makes it a low-maintenance option for adding texture to your garden.
Geraniums: Filling in the Gaps with Colorful Groundcover
Geraniums, particularly the hardy perennial varieties, are excellent companions for peonies. Their mounded growth habit and colorful, five-petaled flowers add interest to the garden floor, while their long blooming season ensures color throughout the summer. Geraniums are also effective at filling in gaps between peony plants, preventing weeds from taking hold and enhancing the overall aesthetics of your garden. Choose varieties with contrasting or complementary flower colors to create a harmonious look.
Ornamental Grasses and Peonies
Feather Reed Grass: Adding Movement and Texture Around Peonies
Feather reed grass is an ornamental grass that adds movement and texture to your peony garden. Its tall, slender stems sway gracefully in the breeze, creating a dynamic contrast to the static, rounded blooms of peonies. The feathery flower heads of this grass also add a vertical element that can help balance the height of taller peony varieties. Feather reed grass thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it an easy-care companion for peonies.
Blue Fescue: Cool Tones to Contrast Peony Blooms
Blue fescue is a low-growing ornamental grass with striking blue-gray foliage that provides a cool-toned contrast to the warm colors of many peony varieties. Its fine, tufted leaves add texture and interest at the base of peonies, while its compact size ensures it won’t overshadow the main attraction. Blue fescue is drought-tolerant and prefers well-drained soil, making it a low-maintenance option for adding color and texture to your peony garden.
Japanese Forest Grass: A Soothing, Shady Companion for Peonies
Japanese forest grass, also known as Hakonechloa, is a shade-loving ornamental grass that pairs beautifully with peonies in partially shaded gardens. Its graceful, arching foliage adds a soothing, naturalistic feel to the garden, while its golden or variegated leaves create a striking contrast with the dark green foliage of peonies. Japanese forest grass is also an excellent choice for planting along the edges of peony beds or under taller plants where it can enjoy dappled sunlight.
Herbs that Pair Beautifully with Peonies
Sage: Aromatic and Attractive in the Peony Garden
Sage is a versatile herb that not only adds flavor to your kitchen but also beauty to your garden. Its gray-green leaves and spikes of purple flowers provide a lovely contrast to the lush peony blooms. Sage is also known for its ability to repel pests, making it a practical companion for peonies. Plant it near the edges of your peony bed or intersperse it among other companion plants to add texture, color, and fragrance to your garden.
Thyme: A Low-Growing Herb that Enhances Peony Beds
Thyme is a low-growing, aromatic herb that makes an excellent ground cover for peony beds. Its small, fragrant leaves and tiny purple or pink flowers add a subtle touch of color and texture at the base of the peonies. Thyme is also drought-tolerant and thrives in well-drained soil, making it a low-maintenance companion for peonies. Use it to fill in gaps between peony plants or along the edges of your garden for a cohesive, fragrant display.
Chives: Edible and Ornamental Companions for Peonies
Chives are a dual-purpose plant that offers both culinary and ornamental benefits. Their tall, slender stems and round, purple flower heads add vertical interest and a pop of color to the garden, while their mild onion flavor is a favorite in the kitchen. Chives are also known to repel pests like aphids, making them a valuable companion for peonies. Plant them at the edges of your peony bed or near pathways where they can be easily harvested for culinary use.
Vines and Climbers to Grow Near Peonies
Clematis: Twining Elegance Amongst Peony Blooms
Clematis is a popular climbing vine that pairs beautifully with peonies, offering vertical interest and a burst of color in your garden. The delicate, twining stems of clematis can be trained to grow on trellises or arbors near peonies, creating a stunning backdrop of blooms. With a wide range of colors and flower shapes, clematis can complement or contrast with peony flowers, adding depth and drama to your garden design.
Morning Glories: Adding Vertical Color to Peony Gardens
Morning glories are fast-growing annual vines that bring a touch of whimsy and color to the garden. Their trumpet-shaped flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon, creating a daily spectacle of color. When planted near peonies, morning glories can be trained to climb trellises or fences, adding vertical interest and a burst of vibrant hues. Their climbing habit also helps to create a layered effect in your garden, drawing the eye upwards and making the space feel more dynamic.
Sweet Peas: Fragrant Climbers for the Peony Border
Sweet peas are beloved for their delicate, fragrant flowers and climbing habit. These annual vines can be planted near peonies to add vertical interest and a delightful scent to your garden. Sweet peas come in a variety of colors, from soft pastels to bold, bright hues, allowing you to choose shades that complement your peonies. Plant them along fences, trellises, or even in containers near your peony bed to create a charming, cottage-garden feel.
Plants to Attract Pollinators to Your Peony Garden
Bee Balm: Drawing Pollinators to Peony Blooms
Bee balm is a magnet for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Its vibrant, spiky flowers come in shades of red, pink, purple, and white, adding a splash of color to the garden while attracting beneficial insects. Planting bee balm near peonies not only enhances the visual appeal of your garden but also helps to increase pollination, ensuring your peonies and other plants produce abundant flowers.
Echinacea: A Pollinator Magnet that Complements Peonies
Echinacea, commonly known as coneflower, is another excellent plant for attracting pollinators to your peony garden. Its daisy-like flowers with prominent central cones add a touch of wildflower charm, while their long bloom time extends the season of interest in your garden. Choose varieties with complementary colors to create a cohesive, pollinator-friendly garden.
Butterfly Weed: Adding Color and Attracting Butterflies Near Peonies
Butterfly weed, a member of the milkweed family, is known for its bright orange or yellow flowers that attract butterflies, especially monarchs. Planting butterfly weed near your peonies adds a burst of color and ensures a steady stream of pollinators visiting your garden.
Companion planting with peonies opens up a world of possibilities for creating beautiful, harmonious, and thriving garden spaces. By carefully selecting plants that complement and enhance your peonies, you can enjoy a garden that is not only visually stunning but also healthy, balanced, and full of life. Whether you're designing a lush cottage garden, a formal landscape, or a low-maintenance retreat, the right companions can make all the difference in achieving your gardening goals.
