March 1st isn't officially spring anywhere :-)........most of us have at least another 3 weeks (official spring) or longer (actual spring) before we start seeing a lot of signs of life. And it will depend on where you are located - the lower the zone, the later things start to warm up (air and soils) and the later plants are to wake up or emerge from dormancy.

Peonies in my zone have just started to show at the soil surface as little nubs. They could be further along in a warmer, more southerly zone.

I'm Zone 7, nothing new with it yet, mid/end march might be some progress

I am just seeing the red tips/eyes right now, and only on the early blooming ones. I don't expect to see the late bloomers for a while. February was a VERY warm month here though.

I have red tips in Virginia.

Mine are still under snow.

Thank you all. I found red tips a half inch or so under the ground. My lack of knowledge made me think that last year's branches would sprout. I'm so excited to see what this year brings!

Seeing that red eye (tip) will now help you buy better peonies if you buy them potted at the garden center and not bare-root. At the garden center they'll have branches, but if you look at the top of the root/tuber and see potential eyes for next year, buy the one with the most developing eyes! I bought some in a pot last August and was able to see several with a good bit of eyes that will be branches this year.

I have had germination of p.mascula (I think - label fail) and p.veitchii this last 2 weeks, while various p.officianalis are poking through the leaf litter. Not much visible action for either p.delavayii var.lutea or p.emodi. Waiting on p.cambessdessii seeds. I have only a scant handful of paeonia so growing from seed, while slow, is very reliable and a good way of establishing a collection, especially of the species (my favourites).