If you have peonies in your yard, you almost certainly also have ants. Ants on peonies go together like peanut butter and jelly. Some people complain about the ants and take measures to get rid of them, but to that I would ask why? Why go through the trouble of getting rid of the ants, who are doing no harm to the peonies? Why expose yourself, your children, your pets and other animals to the harmful effects of poisons?
So why are the ants there in the first place? Common folklore believed the complex layers of the peony needed the ants to help open them. As is true of much regarding nature, this is just another myth; the peony bud will open just fine without the ants’ presence. The ants are there in fact to take advantage of the sugary juice that the the peonies produce. They do the plant no harm by being there and are simply a natural part of nature.
Enjoy your peonies! The ants will go away after the bud is open.
