American Peony Society: What It Offers and How to Join
The American Peony Society (APS) is a membership organization for people who grow, study, register, exhibit, or simply admire peonies. Its site at americanpeonysociety.org serves two audiences at once: anyone who wants free educational material on peony growing and care, and members who need registry access, publications, seed distribution, and event programs. If you only want to learn how to grow peonies or find a vendor, you can use the site without joining. If you want to register a new cultivar, order seeds from the distribution program, receive The Bulletin, or take part in conventions and shows, membership is the path.
What the APS actually provides
The site organizes its work into a few clear areas:
- Learn — growing and care, floral arranging, photography, hybridizing, propagating, and exhibiting.
- Explore — the Registry of Peony Cultivars, described as the official international database with more than 7,000 cultivars.
- Cultivars — registration overview, registration procedures, and new cultivar submission.
- Seed Program — a seed distribution program, seed donation, and a "Seeds for Education" component.
- Activities — news and events, an annual convention, auction, show results, and social media.
- Resources — vendor listings, bookstore, The Bulletin, peony registry, peony societies, reference garden program, advertising in The Bulletin, press kit, mentorship program, and vendor resources.
- About Us — committees, awards, leadership, bylaws, image and content use, and contact.
Peony types covered in the learning section include herbaceous, Itoh, woody, and species peonies, plus diseases and pests, genomic studies, the Bloom Date Project, hybridizing, and awards.
Free resources vs. member resources
| Resource | Open to non-members | Member-oriented |
|---|---|---|
| Growing, care, arranging, photography, hybridizing, propagating, exhibiting guides | Yes | — |
| Glossary and peony type overviews | Yes | — |
| Vendor listings, bookstore, peony societies list | Yes | — |
| Registry of Peony Cultivars | Listed publicly | Registry database and member portal |
| The Bulletin | — | Yes |
| Seed Distribution Program | — | Yes (members; order window applies) |
| Mentorship Program | — | Yes |
| Annual convention, auction, show results | Results and news public | Participation tied to membership |
| New cultivar registration | — | Yes |
The distinction matters: the educational content is the front door, and the registry, Bulletin, seed program, and events are the reasons people join.
The Peony Registry and cultivar database
The Registry of Peony Cultivars is the APS's flagship reference — an official international database with more than 7,000 cultivars. Use it when you need to:
- Confirm the correct name of a cultivar you bought or inherited.
- Check whether a name is already taken before submitting a new cultivar.
- Look up registration details for breeding or collection records.
Registration itself has its own sequence on the site: a registration overview, registration procedures, and a new cultivar submission utility. If your goal is to name and register a seedling, read the procedures before submitting, because the registry is the authority that makes a name official.
Membership: options, pricing, and renewal
The membership section covers:
- About — what membership involves.
- Options & Pricing — the available membership tiers and their cost.
- Purchase Memberships — the sign-up path.
- Gift Subscriptions — memberships given to someone else.
- Terms and Conditions — the rules attached to membership.
- Membership Renewal — how existing members continue.
- Donate — separate from dues.
The site lists "Options & Pricing" as a page, but the specific figures are not included in the material available here, so check that page directly for current rates rather than assuming a number. The same applies to whether any tier is free — the site presents membership as a purchase, with gift subscriptions and renewals as separate flows.
The Seed Distribution Program
The seed program is member-facing and time-bound. The site states the Seed Distribution Program is open for members and available through August 2026, with 2026 seed information posted. Note that "Order Seeds" is marked Closed in the navigation, so the ordering window is not always open even when the program page is live. Related pages include Seed Donation and Seeds for Education.
If seeds are your reason for joining, check the current status of the order window before you pay dues — a closed order page means you would be joining for the next cycle, not this one.
Events, shows, and mentorship
- Annual Convention — the site references an Annual Convention 2027 alongside the current convention listing.
- Auction and Show Results — results are published; participation runs through the society.
- Mentorship Program — pairs members with experienced growers.
- Reference Garden Program — gardens designated within the society's network.
- Awards — recognition within the peony community.
For a beginner, the mentorship program and convention are the two most concrete ways membership turns into hands-on help rather than just publications.
How to decide
Use the site without joining if you want growing instructions, a glossary of peony types, vendor listings, or general background on herbaceous, Itoh, woody, and species peonies.
Join if you need any of these: the Registry database and member portal, The Bulletin, the seed distribution program, mentorship, convention participation, or the ability to register a new cultivar.
Check before joining if your decision hinges on price or on the seed order window — both are page-specific details the site maintains separately from the general membership description.
To start, go to the membership section, open Options & Pricing, then Purchase Memberships. Existing members renew through Membership Renewal, and buyers who want to give access to someone else use Gift Subscriptions.