I notice many of the peonies in the garden had ants crawling on them. When I asked about this I found out that ants play an important role in the blooming of peony flowers. The flower buds produce a nectar that attracts ants, which climb up and help to open the buds in order to get to the nectar contained within. Although peonies will bloom without ants, the ants do help with the process. Another benefit that ants offer peonies is that they help to keep damaging insects away.


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