Ants Crawl On Peonies—Why?

Ants are attracted to peonies due to their sweet taste, which is a result of the sugary nectar droplets around the green outer part of the flower (the sepal). Ants love sugar, so they are attracted to this sticky nectar. The relationship between peonies and ants is a mutualism in the garden, where two organisms of different species benefit from each other’s activity. Peony flowers provide food for ants, and in turn, ants feast on the sugary juice that peony sepals release before the flowers bloom. This sticky sap resembles dew and serves as a food source for ants.

Peony flowers provide food for ants, who in turn protect the blossoms from other floral-feeding insects. The benefit to the peony is that ants readily defend their food source and will actively remove other insects. Ants crawl over peony buds, taking advantage of the flower’s nectar and defending the plant against other insects.

While it is a myth that ants help peonies bloom, they do have a symbiotic relationship wherein the ants are attracted by and feed off of the flowers’ nectar. Ants are drawn to peonies because of their nectar, which is a food source for the ants. It is secreted by tiny glands on the green sepals that cover the flower. By secreting a sugary substance during their development, the plant likely recruits ants to protect the flowers, which for angiosperms, is essential for the growth of the plant.