Peonies in New Jersey

Peonies in New Jersey: a June flower for an October wedding

Peonies in New Jersey are scarce in the one month locals marry most. October is the state's most popular wedding month, according to New Jersey Bride, while Northeast fields cut their own peonies only from late May to early June. In every other month the flower travels in from elsewhere, so the choice comes down to occasion and address: a hand-tied bunch, a box, or a basket.

Netherlands in spring, Alaska in summer, Chile by October

New Jersey earns its nickname honestly: USDA figures for 2024 rank the Garden State third in the country for cut-flower sales. Even so, its own peony fields cut for only a few weeks each year, nowhere near long enough on their own to cover a calendar full of weddings and gifts.

The rest of the year is covered elsewhere. Dutch and other European growers cut from late April through June, Alaska picks up from late June into August, with the Kenai Peninsula stretching that run to September, and Chile cuts from October through December. Line those windows up and a peony is in season somewhere almost year-round, just never at home for long.

That habit of bringing flowers in from a distance runs deep in the trade generally: close to four-fifths of the cut stems sold in the US arrive from abroad, and roughly nine in ten of them clear customs through Miami. It's one reason a peony bought here in February, or in November, is almost by definition a flower that has already crossed a border.

If a local peony matters to you, the honest window is the end of May into early June. Any other week, the real question about peonies in New Jersey isn't where the flower grew but which format suits the occasion.

A basket or a box of peonies solves the no-vase problem for any table: stems sit in soaked foam, so the arrangement stands upright for hours without anyone topping up the water. Both a basket with peonies and peony boxes are built that way, including 15 Peonies in a Basket.

For a quieter palette, 11 White Peonies with Eucalyptus keeps the look pale and calm, suited to a setting that would rather not have colour compete with the décor.

New Jersey's wedding calendar explains why this format matters here: October, the state's busiest month to marry, falls well outside the local peony weeks covered on the Garden State's seasons page.

Peony delivery in New Jersey: buds on the photo, blooms a day or two later

Peonies are cut while the bud is still soft and coloured, in what growers call the marshmallow stage. Warmth and light open that bud over a day or two, which is why the photo a florist sends before the courier leaves shows exactly how many heads are still closed, and gives you a chance to ask for changes before the order goes out.

For a visit rather than a large arrangement, a small bunch of a few stems fits better, and 5 Peonies in Airy Wrapping is built for exactly that.

New Jersey's own peony weeks land right at the start of the state's humid summer stretch, a season covered on the Garden State's seasons page, and delivery zones and timing are set out on the delivery page. The exact delivery window shows on the bouquet's own page, and most orders go out the day they're placed.

Once home, a peony holds for five to seven days in a vase if the water is changed every day.