Spring planting is fine but if you wait until fall, a larger selection of varieties will be available.

First, they are not bulbs :-) And you can plant them any time you find them available. In my, area a wide selection of started plants are offered for sale in area nurseries in early to midspring. Bare root peonies - what I believe you think are the "bulbs" - are often also available at this time but being really just infant plants, will take a number of years before they achieve blooming size and maturity. And bare root perennials are also often not packaged or stored well for maximum viability. If given the choice, I would always go with the started plants, often sold in bud or bloom, before opting for the bare roots.

I would say that spring herbaceous or Itoh bare root peonies are left overs from fall harvest stored over the winter. There is nothing wrong with them if they are stored properly. They are not first choice and it will probably takes longer for them to establish. Buy them if there is no green growth, they are nicely priced and you really-really want them right here and right now. Potted peony is another story, just make sure that you are planing them at the right depth. Time is not as important for them but!!! never plant them when hot dry weather is expected in the next 2-3 months. They need to establish themselves before summer. And never over-water.

Tree peonies are fine to be planted in early spring. They will just need more care.

AlexUnder I would like to correct a misconception on your part. While the roots that appear in most of the lower 48 in the springtime can be from cold storage most of the bagged ones were grown and placed into cold storage for spring sale. Reputable growers who supply Alaska and Canada will not ship ordered roots until spring because by the time the roots are dug it would be impossible to plant them. Alaska has a boom in peony growers most I believe are cut flower growers although some grow for roots. Last night while looking for a peony called Fairbanks for someone I came across an article that mentioned Fairbanks, Alaska because of the boom has declared peonies their official flower and people are planting more.

I honestly do not follow. You do not contradict my point that roots are fall harvested and stored until spring. All direct mail order bare roots reputable companies from Canada I've ordered from ( 4 or 5 ) do not offer spring deliveries.

Adelman's offer spring delivery to Alaska as do others if you ask. When Don Hollingsworth was running his company he did also. Have you asked for spring delivery? I believe Nate Bremer may also along with Klehms. The difference may be that you reference companies from Canada but even some of them will ship in the spring IF you request in August so that they know what to dig and hold. Check with the Canadian Peony Society and ask who among their members might ship in the spring.

Interesting! There are a few people from Alaska on the other peony forum on garden.org, never heard of anyone shipping to them in the spring. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, they just either don't know about it or haven't shared root pics or I missed their posts. BIG difference between getting a spring shipped peony from Adelman's though as compared to the bagged roots at Walmart!

Amy, it would be a good idea to go ahead and plant as soon as your soil is workable. Peonies aren't really fussy, the main difference is you'll probably have to give them additional water as compared to established plants for the first spring/summer/until they go dormant but only if you don't get much rain. If the soil is still damp and they droop just give them some temporary shade. After the first year they should be about the same hardiness as bare roots planted the fall after, if that makes sense--around half a year behind the performance of fall planted roots. And the bagged roots will probably take 2-3 years minimum to bloom but will eventually be just as big and beautiful as any other peony, regardless of where it came from.