Some people mistakenly believe that ants are necessary for peony flowers to open. Peonies draw ants because of the sweet exudates of the buds. Ants do not harm the flower in any way, said Trinklein.

Lush, but still elegant, there are many things to know about the peony. The bud is the state flower of Indiana, for example. It's also the flower traditionally given to celebrate a 12th anniversary.

The flowers are in bloom at St. John Peony Farm in Havre de Grace. Owner Chris Scholz established his first field in 2012 with seven varieties of herbaceous peonies.

My tree peony always has bounced back from this leaf disease, but I'm sure it weakens the plant. The control is to spray with a fungicide every 7 to 10 starting from when the leaves emerge in spring.

Why won't my peony tree flower? Monty Don answers your gardening problems. By MONTY DON FOR MAILONLINE Updated: 18:15 EDT, 17 July 2009 ...