Peony business blooms in Alaska

By Taylor Maida, UAF Cooperative Extension Service

Who would have guessed cut flowers would be Alaska’s up and coming agricultural crop? Of all flowers to sell from Alaska’s fields, would you have guessed peonies?

Peonies have large blossoms and bold colors. Many of them have an incredible fragrance. These flowers are a favorite among brides, flower lovers and florists. Alaska’s late summer can provide peony blooms from July-September when no other place in the world can produce a peony bloom.

If you think about it from a business standpoint, in the summer many people marry, and others want to fill their homes and events with blooms of the season. This high-demand summer crop could be sold in markets Outside and be a source of income for the state’s horticulture industry. The price that can be charged for the flowers for is more than in the Lower 48 because no one has them at the same time.

The new industry is gaining interest among all sorts of people — retired graphic designers, moms, flower lovers, university researchers and farmers. Peony growers and potential growers of all backgrounds recently met at the Alaska Peony Growers Association Conference in Girdwood. Growing peonies is developing into an exciting new endeavor for Alaska.

The Alaska Peony Growers Association Inc. says, “In 2011, 10,000 stems were sold for an average of $4 per stem and there are over 50,000 peony roots in the ground on peony farms in Alaska.”

That is a substantial number because one peony plant can produce up to 10 stems depending on the variety. Not all the flowers are going to be marketable, but that is a good start for Alaska’s peony industry.

The Alaska Peony Growers Association is driving this industry. The association has become a trade group. Members of the group exchange information about growing and marketing techniques and what is working on different farms across the state.

The association seeks to meet the demand for these flowers by working as a group. Members with small growing operations can sell their highest quality cut flowers to a larger operation with a refrigerator unit and packaging capabilities to reach broader markets and help meet demand.

The group recently received the Alaska Grown Specialty Crop Competitive Grant from the Alaska Division of Agriculture to research what nutrients peonies take from the soil. This is important new research as the industry grows because little has been done on fertilizer application rates, pesticide recommendations and rates, and best handling practices for Alaska.

The Alaska Peony Growers Association, UAF Botanical Gardens and UAF Cooperative Extension Service are working together to gather more data to help this industry thrive.

The Girdwood conference, held in January, had a record-breaking attendance. There were more than 120 people registered for the conference; more than forty percent of those had never attended a peony growers conference before.

Six years ago, the first conference was held in Fairbanks and a handful of attendees were present. Many people who attended this year’s conference have never grown peonies and were interested in finding out how to get into the business and what they need to know to get peonies in the ground. Many are learning it takes money, lots of business and garden planning, dedication and hard work to grow peonies successfully.

Patience also is needed. Peony plants take about five years after you plant them to start producing flowers that can be cut for production. It’s not a get rich quick crop, but a potentially rewarding investment of Alaska’s agricultural future.

Taylor Maida is the Tanana District agriculture and horticulture program assistant for the Cooperative Extension Service, a part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.