There have been a rash of peony alien abductions lately. It's kind of scary.

You didn't say what kind of peony - hybrid? species? I've had species go dormant really early in years of drought. They come back.

If it's a hybrid, it's hard to say. Last year (major drought year) I divided a few in late summer, but didn't really give them much water when I replanted the divisions. Big mistake! I lost some completely and those that did survive only produced a single stem this season. I would recommend watering as much as possible.

Kevin

plain old 35 year old plants.. that i took pieces of from moms garden.. when i got my first house ...

you know.. the big fluffy standard pink, white and red..

are those species.. or just the old timers

one thing for sure.. they arent UNcommon..

anyone have names for such .. these date back to at least the 60's ... my parents first house...

ken

I've never heard of a herbaceous peony going dormant from drought, that is a new one.

I have mostly the old tried-and-true: "Festiva Maxima" (pure white with red flecks in the center) and "Sara Bernhardt" (the fluffy pink one) - tough as nails and never disappoint. I have "Bowl of Beauty", a fancy-schmancy cultivar which is the pink with the yellow center, and it just hasn't wowed me yet - eh....nothing like the old ironhorses, that's for sure!

yep ... i recognize those 2 names.. from prior research ...

and bowl of beauty.. petered out and died at the old house ...

so i wonder what the red one was ..

interesting.. i did guilt myslef into going to water them.. they are not totally dormant.. all the stalks collapsed and cracked .. aka flopped .. they are either in full sun.. or under lilacs.. that have outgrown them in 12 years.. the ones in full sun are still standing.. the ones under lilac.. are being out-competed for water by the lilac.. or the little rain we have had.. since spring.. simply didnt make it to the ground.. under the larger plant ...

ken

Some of the more common reds:

KARL ROSENFIELD - crimson
Kansas - watermelon red
PAUL M. WILDE - light cardinal red
Red Charm - deep ruby red (I think this is most common and widely planted of the old reds)

If it's one of those purple reds, you would have to do some more looking. There was one in in the old Jung's catalog simply called 'Jung's Red'. I had it. Didn't like it because it was a purple red.

I've had this happen later in the summer, they always come back but obviously not as vigorously as if they hadn't died back early. Considering how early in the year it is, I suspect next year's regrowth will be very weak. Watering now, even if it is mainly green stems left, will certainly help them, IMHO, green is green, it all has chlorophyll.

Well ken it sounds like Botrytis paeoniae. They will usually come back next year but in a weakened condition. Good sanitary practice, removing all foliage to the city dump every fall. I would spray the ground now after removing all the dead plant material, with Bordeaux mixture to try and prevent the disease living over to next year. Al

Calistoga; I had a couple of my peonies look horrible this spring/early summer. Bare stems or partial leaves. I wondered what in the world it was.. plants around them- roses- looked fine. Don't know too much about peony problems. We had Festiva Maxima, a pink, and a red one growing up and never any problems w/ them. Here, it is too hot for many, so I have only ordered those listed as "early". "Primavera" has done well for me so far. Any ideas as to what happened to my peonies? Peonies are one of my favorite flowers. Thanks, Brandy