Peonies are cherished garden perennials, often lasting for decades and providing spectacular blooms for years with minimal care. While these plants are generally considered less desirable to wildlife, they are not entirely immune to being consumed or damaged by animals. Identifying the specific culprit behind a disappearing bud or a wilting stem is the first step toward protecting these long-lived plants. By observing the distinct patterns of damage, gardeners can accurately determine which animal is responsible for the loss.
Mammalian Feeders: Above-Ground Damage
Two of the most common mammals that browse in gardens are deer and rabbits, and the damage they inflict on peony foliage is distinct. Deer lack lower incisors, meaning they must press their lower teeth against a hard dental pad to feed. This results in a jagged or torn appearance on the stems and leaves, often ripping the tissue rather than cleanly severing it. Deer often browse on tender new growth and developing flower buds higher up on the plant, with damage usually appearing between one and six feet from the ground.
Rabbits possess sharp incisors that produce a very clean, angled cut, almost as if the stem was clipped with scissors. They primarily target young, tender shoots and foliage, concentrating their feeding activity very close to the soil line. While mature peonies are generally unappealing, young plants or new spring growth can still be sampled and destroyed if other food sources are scarce. When damage is isolated to ground level, the smaller rodent is the more likely offender.
Underground Threats: Root and Tuber Consumption
Sometimes, a peony plant will suddenly wilt and die without any obvious damage to the above-ground leaves or stems, suggesting a threat beneath the soil surface. Voles and gophers are the main culprits behind this subterranean destruction, as they feed directly on the plant’s fleshy root system. Voles, which are small, mouse-like rodents, create shallow tunnels and runways near the surface and chew on the roots and tubers. Damage from voles often leaves the plant’s crown partially intact but girdled, allowing the entire plant to be easily lifted from the ground because the root structure has been disconnected.
Gophers are strict herbivores that consume roots, and they can cause a plant to disappear entirely. These larger rodents pull whole plants down into their tunnel systems or consume the entire root mass, leaving a sudden, empty hole or a fresh, fan-shaped dirt mound nearby. Both animals are active year-round and can cause extensive damage during the winter under snow cover when other food is unavailable. The difference in the resulting evidence—a plant that pulls out versus one that vanishes—helps distinguish between these two underground feeders.
The Case of the Peony Ant: A Distinction
The appearance of ants swarming over peony buds is a common sight that often leads gardeners to mistakenly believe they are a pest consuming the flower. However, this is a misunderstanding of a beneficial biological relationship known as mutualism. The ants are not eating the plant material; they are attracted to the sugary liquid, called nectar, secreted by specialized glands on the outside of the flower buds. These structures are known as extrafloral nectaries.
The peony plant actively recruits the ants by providing this sweet food source. In return, the ants patrol the developing bud and defend their food source from true insect pests, such as thrips, which could otherwise cause damage to the flower. Gardeners should generally allow this interaction to continue, as the ants are acting as bodyguards for the future bloom. The old myth that ants are needed to help the flower open is untrue, but their presence is a positive sign of a healthy defensive mechanism.
Targeted Mitigation: Tailoring Solutions to the Culprit
Once the animal responsible for the damage is identified, a targeted solution can be implemented to protect the peonies.
Protecting Against Browsing Mammals
For browsing mammals like deer and rabbits, physical barriers are the most reliable method of exclusion. A fence at least six to eight feet high is often needed to deter deer, while a two-foot-tall chicken wire barrier buried slightly into the ground can deter rabbits. Scent-based repellents containing ingredients like putrescent eggs or garlic can also be sprayed directly onto the foliage to make the plant unpalatable. These repellents require reapplication, especially after rain, to maintain effectiveness.
Protecting Against Subterranean Pests
To combat subterranean pests, exclusion must begin during the planting process. Peony roots can be protected from gophers by planting them in wire baskets made of hardware cloth, which allow the roots to grow but prevent the gophers from reaching the central tuber. Voles rely on cover, so removing excessive mulch, leaf litter, and tall grass around the peonies reduces their habitat and exposure to predators. For active infestations of either pest, trapping remains an effective control method.