Michigan's Famous Heirloom Peonies Are About to Pop

Move over, Tulip Time!

West Michigan's signature flower festival just wrapped up and the numbers are in: 597,000 guests visited Holland, Michigan to see millions of tulips in bloom. What's next?

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Peonies!

Did you know Michigan is home to the largest heirloom peony collection in North America? Well, now you do, and the good news is we haven't even reached peak bloom yet! Here's how and when to view them:

W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden

According to a recent social media post by the University of Michigan School of Medicine, which is just steps from the Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, Michigan the peonies are about to pop!

Just steps away from our main medical campus, U-M's famous Peony Garden will soon burst into full bloom, drawing thousands of visitors like it has every spring for more than 100 years. The first flowers have already begun to appear.

According to the school the first peonies were donated from alumni and pharmaceutical entrepreneur W. E. Upjohn; the collection first opened to the public in 1927 and now each June the garden is filled with the sweet, citrusy aroma of peony blossoms. According to the university the best time to visit is after Memorial Day:

Peak bloom in the Peony Garden typically runs from...(late May) to the summer solstice (mid-June). The peak bloom can vary by 10 days from year to year, depending on the weather. Warm weather makes the plants bloom early.

This year a free shuttle will run on weekends from a nearby parking lot to make public viewing of the peonies even easier. The Nichols Arboretum is free to visit and open from sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week. More details here.

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Gallery Credit: Lauren Gordon