Research was begun in 2001 at the Georgeson Botanical Garden to learn if peonies could be grown and exported as specialty cut flowers. Peonies bloom in Alaska from late June through September when world markets are limited. Through our research we have shown that it is possible to export very high quality fresh cut stems to markets in the U.S. and over seas, thus developing the first horticultural crop export from Alaska. There are now 50 peony growers statewide, and most are members of the Alaska Peony Grower's Association. Commercial exports began in 2007.
We have conducted a diversity of research that has involved undergraduate and graduate students and researchers in the School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences and Resource and Applied Economics as well as scientists at the USDA Arctic and Subarctic Plant Gene Bank and USDA Subarctic Agricultural Research Unit. Research includes cultivar evaluation, spacing, pest and disease identification, post harvest handling, marketing and economics. Click on the buttons below to read summaries of this research as well as find links to downloadable PDFs.