Ants on peonies.

My peonies have ants too. Mine have ants every year. Just soak them in a sink of water before you put them in a vase! They are so beautiful and fragrant- well worth having to soak off the ants!

Aunts on ponies:

@avictoriouswin Any day now.

Saw this one in bloom the other day.

They're doing their job to ensure you get beautiful blossoms!!

I don't recall ever seeing healthy peonies without ants.

Gotta have the ants for peonies to thrive. They are beautiful and I bet they smell amazing! 😊💕

Mine just bloomed. Peonies are magnificent.

This is from my home in Kentucky.

Grok said that the ants protect the bud from pests.. in return they get the nectar.. kinda cool..

🐜 🌸

weird I think it’s just a peony thing… I’ve noticed that here in my neighborhood also 🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜 ACCORDING TO GROK: they have a sweet nectar when they’re blooming that attracts ants 🐜 😳😉

I love everything about your focus and hobbies. Plus your dress last Night was cussing stunning. I’m trying to learn how to knit with needles instead of a loom because of you!!! Your patriotism and crafty gifts are inspiring for many. I hope u know that.

The ants help them open

Peony buds (and sometimes the stems or flowers) produce a sugary nectar from extrafloral nectaries (nectar-secreting glands located outside the flowers, often on the sepals). This sticky, sweet substance attracts ants, who feast on it as a high-energy food source. In return, the ants patrol the plant and aggressively defend their food by attacking, biting, stinging, or removing other insects that might damage the buds.

Looking forward to seeing your bloom.

Ours bloomed three weeks early due to the heat and drought. I welcome them anyway. I never knew about the ants u til you posted! Thanks!

On mine too

We have a few peonies in bloom right now.

I cut a few today! They are my favorite

My tree peonies, last year. Didn't bloom yet this year.

Peonies little helpers!!!!… As a little girl, I was so proud when my mother entrusted me the task of collecting flowers from our garden to place on the table for a family gathering. Just coming into bloom, the “Schiaparelli-Pink” peonies were the irresistible choice. I eagerly cut an abundance of stems & quickly arranged them in my favorite vase as the tablescape centerpiece. … What I did not realise at the time: is that in order to bloom many varieties of peonies require armies of tiny ants (almost imperceptible) eating the sticky sap inside the bud pod to release the flower’s petals …. by the time the guests entered the dining room & were being seated for dinner - the entire table cloth was covered in ants!!!! 🐜 The family moved to the veranda for dinner. (Not an ant in sight)

@Huggins2687 Per Grok, they benefit each other…

They surround all of my peonies. My grandma always told me they need the ants.

I sprinkle dry corn meal or grits around the plant. The ants eat it and take it to their nest - then they perish.

Love how Ants open the blooms. Such a beautiful & symbiotic relationship

Ants are done and we be startin'! Mmmmm...love that smell like cheap perfume.

Ants are after the sticky film left behind from aphids? Target aphids to solve problem.

@canalrdnw Ha! I haven't seen these since the 60s in my Grandma's garden. They fascinated me. The smell is incredible and indelible in my mind.

For those that didn't know

Is a good thing. They have a symbiotic relationship.

@Melissa1opinion

Always, except mine this year ..

I love my peonies! The little ants love them as well.

Brought these beauties in today. Had to dip in a water bath to remove the Anties.