Peonies in Maldives

Peony delivery in Miami: a flower from another climate, imports through the country's main gateway and a season across both hemispheres

The peony is a guest in Miami in the fullest sense. The subtropics are too warm: the plants need a cold winter that never comes here, so there are no local fields, and every stem arrives from far away. But the city holds a trump card — it is the main gateway for US flower imports, with most incoming cut flowers passing through Miami International Airport (MIA). A peony lands here at the very start of its journey rather than the end, and that decides almost everything, because few flowers are as sensitive to heat.

This category covers single-variety peony bunches, mixed bouquets with roses or ranunculus, and peonies as the centerpiece of wedding and event arrangements. The loveliest peony — the field-grown one — has a short window, so the secret to offering it almost year-round is knowing the supply calendar across both hemispheres.

Season and where they come from

Because Florida grows no peonies, Miami runs entirely on imports — and here the closeness to the airport works for freshness. The flower is passed like a relay between the northern and southern hemispheres.

• April – June — Dutch imports and peonies from US growers in the northern states. Peak quality, the widest choice, the best price.
• July – September — Alaskan peonies. The northern summer means Alaska blooms when almost nowhere else in the hemisphere can, bridging the gap for late-summer weddings.
• November – January — imports from Chile and New Zealand, where it is late spring south of the equator.
• Varieties — Sarah Bernhardt (soft pink, the classic), Coral Charm (coral fading to peach), Red Charm (deep dark red), Duchesse de Nemours (white).

Why peonies cost more

A peony is volume and softness in a single stem: one open bloom does the work of a whole handful of other flowers. The pastel range — from white and powder to deep coral — slips easily into a wedding palette or a Mother's Day gift. In Miami peonies are prized for the contrast too: among palms and tropical greenery they read as something cool, garden-like and from somewhere else.

The catch is the short field window and the import logistics that keep peonies at the top of the price range most of the year. In spring, when the choice is widest, the price drops and the quality peaks — that is the moment to order them in volume for a wedding or a big celebration.

"Peonies are the one flower people book a month out. Couples build a whole spring wedding around the Sarah Bernhardt window, and when it closes Alaska carries us through to September. In Miami people love them precisely because they don't grow around the corner — they're a small cool luxury in the tropics. But they need careful handling: heat is their enemy, so I carry them closed and chilled."

— Lucas Ferreira, florist, 10 years in the trade, Miami

How to open them and make them last

Peonies often arrive as tight, almost spherical buds — and that is exactly what you want. Indoors they open over two to five days. To help, keep them in a room at normal temperature and gently wipe any sticky sap off the bud with a damp cloth.

Re-cut the stems on arrival, change the water every two days and keep them out of direct sun. Miami's heat and humidity open them fast, so if you need them for a specific date, take them closed and keep them cool — under the air conditioning or in the fridge. A bud held back in the cold can wait another two or three days.

Delivery and occasions in Miami

We deliver peonies across Miami — South Beach, Miami Beach, Brickell, Downtown, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Wynwood, Key Biscayne, Aventura, Bal Harbour, Doral, Little Havana, the Design District, Sunny Isles Beach and Pinecrest — with prices in US dollars ($, USD). In spring they are the natural choice for weddings, receptions and Mother's Day, and for the quinceañeras the city holds year-round. Out of season they arrive as a considered, slightly luxurious gift — a way to mark a birthday or anniversary with something not easy to find that month.

At peak season order three to five days ahead, and if you need a specific variety like Coral Charm or a large volume for an event, a week. Message our team and we'll tell you exactly what is arriving in Miami this week.