Visiting the Peony Garden at University of Michigan’s Nichols Arboretum has been an Ann Arbor spring tradition for nearly 100 years. The Arb Peony Garden was on my to-do list for several years before finally visiting in 2019. We’ve visited a few more times since then.
Peak Bloom Season Watch – 2026
The Nichols Arboretum began their 2026 Peony Watch on March 10, 2026. They will continue to update it throughout the season. Peonly Peak Bloom tends to be late May to early June. We will keep updating throughout May until the season is over.
May 17 – <editor’s update> We visited this afternoon and there are only a couple of blooms out in the peony beds. But, we saw lots of buds that look close to bursting open. Two warm, but possibly stormy days should bring the buds out.
May 11 – About half of the Tree peonies are in bloom. Only 4-5 of the herbaceous plants are blooming. But buds are developing and getting ready to open. The warm weather forecast will bring the buds out.
May 4 – The first bloom is open! Still a few weeks away from peak
April 26 – Plants are up and growing fast with the first tiny buds appearing. Tree peonies already leading the way with large buds and are getting ready for a show
April 13 – Peonies continue to push up with most out of the garden and the start of green leaves.
March 10 – Red Shoots starting to push up
About the Peony Garden
The Nichols Arboretum Peony Garden first opened in 1927 with the collection donated in 1922. The garden can hold up to 800 peonies resulting in 10,000 blooms.
It is the largest public collection of heritage peonies in North America. The garden features 350 varieties of historic herbaceous peonies from the US, Canada, and Europe. Many of these varieties are no longer commercially available. These heritage varieties are from the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
My Visit to Ann Arbor Peony Garden at Nichols Arboretum
On my first visit several years ago, my friend and I visited during the school day allowing us to avoid the worst of the crowds. Even with lower crowds, the garden still had plenty of people in it.
We only spent about 30 minutes in the Peony Garden. It was plenty of time for a casual visit. If you have more time, there are picture maps that describe the varieties of peonies. There is also much more to explore in The Arb beyond the Peony Garden.
My daughter opted out of visiting in 2019 due to her seasonal allergies. She did brave the garden in 2021 and 2022 – after taking her allergy medicine. In 2024-2025 she lived in a Hill dorm and frequently walked in the The Arb. Sadly, peony season is after the University of Michigan academic year.
The peony garden is a good place to take children. There is room for them to explore and roam. Let them search for their favorite color peony. Just make sure they stay on the paths and don’t touch the flowers.
There is some shade available and there are grassy areas that would be perfect for a picnic lunch or snack. Note, the paths are gravel which may make a stroller difficult.
New for 2026 they had a tent for relaxation setup just beyond the peony garden. Take a moment to sit down and enjoy some shade.
Visiting the Nichols Arboretum Peony Garden
The W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden is near the Washington Heights entrance to Nichols Arboretum (1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor). I was expecting a longer walk from the entrance to the peony garden. I’m just lucky to have picked the right entrance on our first visit.
Peony Bloom Season
The Peony Garden is typically in bloom from late May through mid-June. The wet, cool spring in 2019 delayed the peony season – I visited on June 12th and it was blooming nicely.
The Arb also has tree peonies which bloom before the herbaceous peonies.
The Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum Facebook page is one of the best places to find updates on the blooms.
Nichols Arboretum Hours & Admission
Nichols Arboretum is open 7 days a week from sunrise to sunset. Admission to Nichols Arboretum is free.
Parking for Nichols Arboretum
There are a few spots on Washington Heights that are reserved for Nichols Arboretum members. There are also a limited number of metered parking spots on Washington Heights near the School of Public Health. I was able to get one of these spots on our first visit.
The UM Parking Maps for North/Medical Campus include lots around the Arb. From these maps, I found a few convenience parking lots.
- M28 at the School of Public Health – 1500 Washington Heights – Blue lot – enforced Monday-Friday from 6a-5p.
- The M29 blue lot below the helipad is also available in evenings and on weekends. Walking from the M29 lot will include a steep ascent to the peony garden.
Be sure to verify the enforcement details on the signs in the lot before parking in evenings and weekends. Some of the nearby lots are Blue lots enforced 24/7
For 2026, a shuttle will run from NC78 Parking lot across the street from Mitchell Field to Nichols Arboretum on select weekends. The shuttle is scheduled for 10a-5p on May 23-24, May 30-31, and June 6-7.
Other Entrances
According to the Nichols Arboretum website, the Peony Garden is about a 15 minute walk from the Geddes Road entrance. In 2026 we were parked on Observatory near the Mosher Jordan dormitory. We walked down Washington Heights to enter near the peony garden, then walked through the Arb to the Geddes Rd entrance to leave.
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