I've done both and fail to see any negligible difference in the resulting plant - aside from instant gratification from buying potted vs. having to wait for the bare root to sprout up.

When I did the bare roots, I potted them when purchased in March then planted them out in the garden sometime after Memorial Day when they were already nice sized plants.

The financial outlay for bare root can be substantially less than the grown specimens if that's a consideration.

One thing to know about potted plants of all kinds including peonies is that they may not be at the best depth if planted directly from the pot. Second is that depending on how long they have been in the pot the roots may prevent growth if they are pot bound.

note what bloomz says...

bare root has definitive.. specific planting times ... on all plants.. not just peony ...

price is usually the key ... as well as rarity ... if you are collecting obscure specimens.. i doubt you will find them potted .. locally ...

at MANY local upscale nurseries [and many are disappearing] ... they receive them bare root.. in late winter.. and pot them up.. and trigger growth 4 to 6 weeks prior to the sales season ... quadrupling the price they paid ... to sell you the instant gratification above noted ...

i would question anyone selling bare root.. at this time of year ... though i see you are in z4 ... didnt snow melt like last week...lol ..

though it can be done ... its really better for the plants to have as ettling in period of warm days and cool night in early spring.. so that by the time the blistering heat of july/august comes.. the plant has a sufficient working root mass to get thru the onslaught.. again.. in zone 4 ... mabye you can get away with it ... but it wont be care free and easy ...

again ... bare root.. is bare root ... the story doesnt change due to the plant ... so once you understand... you know it generally ...

ken

ps: many hosta are sent.. this time of year.. fully growing.. and bare root .. and once rec'd and planted .. never look back ...

the difference being.. whether you are rec'g the plant bare root DORMANT .. or barre root actively growing... and frankly.. i dont know if they send bare root active growing peony ... hmmmmm... anyone????

We can get away with a lot in Zone 4 that escapes other zones - our window telescopes inward so chances are taken that others might regard with horror.

None of my peonies are rare or obscure - which does not diminish their beauty - and my enjoyment of them - in the gardens. An all around handsome plant when not in bloom.

Deer avoid them like the plague here; another bonus.

Thanks everyone! Zone 4, snow or rain we are having the most incredible season ever. Everything is growing by leaps and bounds. Need my machete! Lol.

Ken, there are wholesalers who sell boxes of peonies, maybe 5 to a box, where the peonies are individually wrapped. You, as the customer, can then pick out how many you want. You don't see those available in nurseries here until late winter/early spring. If no one plants them, they probably will send shoots in the small amount of dirt in which they are packed. I've seen that happen in other packages.

The packaged peony roots available from costco and other big box stores, can be a good value, or not. The longer they are in the package the worse their condition, so buy them when they first appear. Out of a box of four, two will usually be pretty good, one will just pass and one will be a scrap. They are never tough enough for my "garden of neglect" so I pot them up and keep them in the pot for a whole year before planting in the garden. The second year in the garden I see my first bloom. Al