There are plenty of advantages to living somewhere warm and sunny, like California, which we don't need to explain here. Yet there are some minor downsides too. One of these is a lack of success with plants that require cold stratification, such as peonies. If you can't grow peonies in your part of California, these peony alternatives are far better.
If you have any inkling about how to grow peonies, or have ever tried, you will know that they need exposure to cold winter temperatures to enable them to go into a dormant period. This enables the plant to store its energy for the flower buds to form.
