Join APS

Join the American Peony Society

Captivated by Peonies? Become A Member or Renew Today – Purchase a Membership

The Benefits of APS Membership

It’s Not Just a “Membership”; It’s a Year Round Peony Experience!

 

Luscious peonies. Amazing people. Great events, publications and resources! The perks of your membership in the American Peony Society just keeps on giving. Plus, you’ll support the education and continued curation of one of the world’s most captivating flowers.  Please see Terms for further information

Welcome to the American Peony Society: a worldwide family of passionate peony enthusiasts, including gardeners, collectors, hybridizers, educators, scientists, floral designers, botanical gardens, public gardens and commercial growers.

Never dig peonies in spring or summer. This joker had many wide eyes on him!

If you love peonies, this is the place to let your passion blossom.

Grow, Connect, Learn, Share
  • The American Peony Society Bulletin
  • Access to the Annual Directory of New Cultivars through the Member Portal
  • Members-Only Plant Auctions & Peony Seed Purchase Programs
  • Share and Learn with Our Vibrant Social Media Community 
  • The APS Annual National Convention with Garden Tours, Seminars, Speakers and More!
  • Exciting Annual Peony Exhibition and Awards
  • 24-7 Access to Our Members-Only Online Portal (Packed with Peony Content, Surveys, Announcements and All Things Peonies)

Explore the Benefits of Joining or Renewing

11 Pathways to Enjoy the Peony

#1...The APS Bulletin, Print Reading Options and Available Online (Quarterly)

Get the only magazine devoted exclusively to peonies and peony culture. Bulletin issues feature informative articles and beautiful photography for beginners and experienced growers alike.  The Bulletin also serves as the source for member announcements and society news. *Stock supplies of recent Bulletins are limited,  thus previously published Bulletins are not unavailable for the current year for new memberships after February.

Bulletin Online Option Information


#2...The Annual Peony Convention

Meet and mingle with peony enthusiasts from all over the world. The APS Convention is held in various North American locations, and features peony-related talks, seminars and discussions; garden tours; cut flower exhibits; shopping opportunities; social hours, and a banquet.


Annual Convention

#3...National Peony Flower Show and Exhibition

Enter your peonies or just come and enjoy a blooming amazing annual Flower Show. The show features blooms from growers and gardeners from around the country, as well as our new division featuring gorgeous peony photographs.


Exhibiting Flowers

#4...FREE Access to Member Portal

For APS members!  An additional website options featuring announcements, articles, programs, surveys, The Bulletin online, Directory of New Cultivars and a wide variety of information for the peony enthusiast.  The Portal is continually updated as new information comes available.


#5...APS Mentoring Program

Get Growing with our new program that matches beginning peony enthusiasts with more experienced peony members to learn about propagation, dividing, even grafting or hybridizing! Learn, share and develop a connection to the peony world.


Mentorship Program

#6...Online and Live Peony Auctions

Score “Drool-worthy” Peonies…Our most popular and exciting fundraiser! Only APS Members can bid on our amazing peony cultivars you won’t find anywhere else! It’s a fun and exciting way to get your hands on rare, new or popular peonies.  Available to United States shipping addresses only.


Please visit the Member Portal for further information.

#7...APS Seed Distribution Program

Discover the fun of growing peonies from seed! Each year, we publish a list of available peony seeds collected from popular, rare, and unusual cultivars. For a nominal fee, you can request seeds of your choice, supported with how-to information to get you started.  APS can only ship to United States and Canadian destinations.


Seed Program

#8...Directory of New Cultivars

With “Directory of New Cultivars”, you ‘ll be ​the first to see the newest registered peony species and hybrids, with colorful photos, and complete descriptions.

Available through the Member Portal as an *Online Reader for all members and in printed form (if available).

*You must be a member to login to the Member Portal and view Directories.   Past Directories and registration checklists may be purchased as .pdf files for download through the APS Bookstore.


#9...Support Peony Cultivar Registration

The APS is the International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for peonies. The APS supervises peony nomenclature and critical publishing data, and provides critical information transmission to a worldwide network of peony growers and enthusiasts.  Your membership helps us maintain standards and curate the history and development of the peony.

Peony Registry

#10...Best in Class Sources for Peony Materials

APS Commercial Members offer a trusted resource for peony plants, cut flowers and gardening supplies. You’ll find everything from small local growers happy to provide beautiful cut flowers for local weddings and events, growers of rare and hard-to find peonies, and the newest registrations from the world’s leading growers and hybridizers.

APS Member Vendors

#11...Web Listing and Advertising options for Commercial Members

Advertising is open to all commercial members who have businesses related to peonies.  Advertisers reach a highly targeted audience of peony and gardening enthusiasts, while supporting the programming and outreach of the APS.  Commercial member businesses which involve peony sales and/or related items are eligible to have a free listing and link on the APS website.  Further information about advertising in the Bulletin can be found:  Advertise in the Bulletin.

  • Commercial Members, please see Commercial Vendors Page.  This page contains announcements, information and important agreements applicable to certain business types.

Membership Options

Countries, Types, Costs, Duration and Requirements

DETAILS
Mailing
Addresses
Bulletin Delivery
&
Reading Options
Membership Duration/Costs:
Membership
Type
1 year

-US dollars-

3 years
(great value)
-US dollars-
5 years
(best value)
-US dollars-
United
States
Postal Service
&
Online1
Individual/Dual & Institutional2 $30 $70 $115
Commercial4 $45 $120 $200
Online Only3 Individual/Dual & Institutional2 $30 $70 $115
Commercial4 $45 $120 $200
Canada Postal Service
&
Online1
Individual/Dual & Institutional2 $40 $100 $165
Commercial4 $55 $150 $250
Online Only3 Individual/Dual & Institutional2 $30 $70 $115
Commercial4 $45 $120 $200
All Other
Countries
Postal Service
&
Online1
Individual/Dual & Institutional2 $60 $160 $260
Commercial4 $70 $195 $325
Online Only3
(Recommended)
Individual/Dual  & Institutional2 $30 $70 $115
Commercial4 $45 $120 $200

Dues are paid for January 1 – December 31 of any year.  Payable in U.S. Dollars.

1 Postal Service & Online.  Includes print format Bulletins through postal service delivery and online reading.  Online reading via the APS Member Portal requires an internet connection.  All memberships are non-transferable.  Please notify APS promptly of address changes.    Current Bulletins and the Directory of New Cultivars are available through the Membership Portal for online reading. APS is not responsible for replacement of Bulletins which are undelivered, returned, misplaced, stolen or lost through mail services.

2 Institutional memberships are for one organization at a single mailing address and include one printed Bulletin which may be made available to the public through their library system. The membership will be associated with the email address of one individual (staff or volunteer) who will have access to the Member Portal but, does not include public access to the Member Portal. Other benefits are available, as noted under Member Benefits, but no voting rights are included. Institutional memberships are available to libraries, botanical gardens, arboreta, gardening organizations and educational facilities. APS is not responsible for replacement of Bulletins which are undelivered, returned, misplaced, stolen or lost through mail services. 

3 Online Only. Includes online accessibility to the 5 most recent Bulletins and the Directory of New Cultivars.  This option provides for online reading only (no publications will be mailed), via the APS Member Portal.  Bulletins & the Directory of New Cultivars are formatted in a reader and are not downloadable.  Online reading requires an internet connection.  The print formatted Directory of New Cultivars (when available) may be purchased separately for postal service delivery through the APS website. Recommended for overseas members due to possible delivery issues.

4 Commercial Memberships.  Commercial Membership includes a free listing on the American Peony Society Website in the Vendors section. Listing includes: link to website, contact information, logo (member supplied), sales information (member supplied) and tagline (member supplied).  Advertising is available in the quarterly Bulletin for members who sell plants for planting and have a “Commercial Plant Vendors Code of Ethics” (CPVCE)  file.  Commercial Members who do not sell plants are not required to have a CPVCE Agreement on file. The CPVCE, which is required for all commercial vendors who sell plant material for planting, is available through the APS website.  Please see:  Home>>Commercial Vendors Page for further information and forms;  Home>>Resources>>Advertise in the Bulletin for advertising rates and further details.

Terms & Conditions

Membership  |   Seeds   |   Downloadable Product   |   Convention   |   Website

 

MEMBERSHIP TERMS

Memberships are paid for as DUES to The American Peony Society, a non-profit, all volunteer, organization.  The Society produces up to 4 member publications per year available to dues paying members.  A public website is maintained and is available to anyone wishing to learn more about peonies. The website, The Bulletin and all other activities are supported by membership dues, donations, auctions, and other Society sales. Additionally, all memberships include access to Member Portal which makes available additional content and activities. All APS activities are focused upon promoting, enhancing and providing educational opportunities for members and the public at large, per APS’ mission.

  1. The purchase of an American Peony Society Membership constitutes agreement to the following terms.
  2. Dues are paid for the calendar year (January 1 – December 31 of any year) and may be secured for 1,3 or 5 year membership durations. Members joining before August 25th are recorded for the current year and members will receive all four issues of The APS Bulletin for that year (while supplies last for printed/mailed memberships). Members joining between August 25 and November 25 shall receive the December issue of The APS Bulletin and all issues for the following year.  Applications received after November 25 are recorded for the following year, unless otherwise specified.
  3. Membership Dues are DONATIONS to the American Peony Society and are NON-REFUNDABLE under any circumstance.
  4. Individual members are responsible for managing their accounts through MY ACCOUNT.   Typical management may include:  Auto renew settings, payment methods, credit cards on files, address changes and password changes. American Peony Society administrators/leadership are unable to view or make modifications to member accounts within the APS website for security and privacy reasons. APS is not able to initiate or prevent any renewal payment – this is completely controlled by the member.  See MY ACCOUNT HELP for management instructions.
  5. All new memberships are set to Automatically Renew upon expiration.
    • By purchasing a new membership, the member authorizes APS to automatically renew their membership in the their next membership cycle and charge the credit card on file in MY ACCOUNT>Payment methods tab.
    • If automatic renewal is unwanted, the member is responsible for immediately changing the Auto renew settings after the purchase of a membership.   Manage the account  in MY ACCOUNT>My Subscription. Change Auto renew from “on” to “off”, and Delete credit card information within the Payment methods tab.
    • Turning Auto renew settings off, after a renewal and payment has been made, does not retroactively cancel or negate payment for membership dues, but will prevent renewal in the next membership cycle.  The member is responsible for  managing their account, which controls automated payments.
    • An automatic renewal of a membership, is non-refundable, whether deliberate or unintended.  For further details and instructions, see terms #3 & #4.
  6. Cancellation of a membership, by the member, will result in termination of member benefits and no refund will be provided.  All funds are treated as donations to the American Peony Society’s non-profit activities and are non-refundable. See term #3.
  7. Early membership renewal is not available for administrative purposes.  Turn on the Auto renew toggle in MY ACCOUNT>Subscription to avoid missing a renewal in the next membership cycle.
  8. Membership type and duration may only be changed in the next membership cycle.  To do so, turn off Auto renew and allow the current membership to expire.  After expiration, purchase the membership of choice from the Purchase Membership page.
  9. Occasionally, membership types and prices may change, which may cause automatic renewal to become non-functional.   In such cases, members will need to contact the Membership Chair or Website Manager, who will reset the account so a current membership option can be purchased.
  10. Memberships which are not renewed, due to credit card payment failure through the website, will be remain current until January 31.  A valid credit card may be entered in MY ACCOUNT>Payment methods up to January 31 and the membership may then be renewed.  A new membership may be purchased at no additional cost, if not entered prior to January 31.
  11. Monetary donations, including membership dues may be tax deductible in certain instances.  Eligibility and donation exemptions are governed by the IRS, under 501 (C) (3) laws, and per individual member tax status, within given states.   APS makes no guarantee of tax deduction eligibility.
  12. APS is not responsible for re-mailing Bulletins and Directories which are returned due to address changes, lost in the mail, stolen or not delivered to a member for any other reason.  Online Membership is recommended for overseas members and any other member who may have mail delivery issues.
  13. Terms and information for different Membership types are as follows:
    • Individual memberships are for one person at a single physical and email address, and will receive one copy of The Bulletin per publication cycle, either through the mail or online, per membership type. All Memberships include access to the Member Portal and online reading of The Bulletin and Directory of New Cultivars with one account email address.  Other optional benefits are available, as noted under Member Benefits. * APS is not responsible for re-mailing Bulletins and Directories which are returned due to address changes, lost in the mail, stolen or not delivered to a member for any other reason.
    • Dual memberships are for two persons at a single physical and email address and will receive one copy of The Bulletin per publication cycle, either through the mail or online, per membership type.  All Memberships include access to the Member Portal and online reading of The Bulletin and Directory of New Cultivars, with one account email address.  Other optional benefits are available, as noted under Member Benefits. * APS is not responsible for re-mailing Bulletins and Directories which are returned due to address changes, lost in the mail, stolen or not delivered to a member for any other reason.
    • Commercial memberships are for one business at a single mailing address, will receive one copy of The APS Bulletin per publication cycle, either through the mail or online, per membership type.  All Memberships include access to the Member Portal and online reading of The Bulletin and Directory of New Cultivars, with one account email address.  Advertising is open to all commercial members of the American Peony Society.  Advertisers reach a highly targeted audience of peony and gardening enthusiasts, while supporting the programming and outreach of the APS.  As a commercial member, you are also eligible to have a free listing and link on the APS website.  Further information about advertising in the Bulletin can be found:  Advertise in the Bulletin. Other optional benefits are available, as noted under Member Benefits. * APS is not responsible for re-mailing Bulletins and Directories which are returned due to address changes, lost in the mail, stolen or not delivered to a member for any other reason.  See Vendors Page for further requirements and options.  *Commercial Members who are not in the business of selling peonies or related items will not be listed on the Vendors page.
      REQUIRED:  Commercial Plant Vendors (business which sell planting material) are to practice APS Bylaw Article IV Section 5, which is in reference to  “Commercial Plant Vendor Code of Ethics” (Code).  Further information may be found on the Commercial Vendors Page.
    • Institutional memberships are for one organization at a single mailing address and include one printed Bulletin which may be made available to the public through their library system. The membership will be associated with the email address of one individual (staff or volunteer) who will have access to the Member Portal but, does not include public access to the Member Portal. Other benefits are available, as noted under Member Benefits, but no voting rights are included. Institutional memberships are available to libraries, botanical gardens, arboreta, gardening organizations and educational facilities.

Online memberships will have access to the Bulletin and Directory of New Cultivars through the Member Portal for online reading and no print copies will be mailed.

See the Dues Schedule for Membership Dues pricing: APS Dues Chart

SEEDS TERMS
  1. A current membership with the American Peony Society  is required to order seeds.
    1. Orders  placed by non-members will be cancelled and refunded, less processing fees.
  2. APS ships to members in the United States and Canada only.
  3. Members must supply a shipping address in the United States or Canada to be eligible to receive seeds through this program.
    • Orders placed with shipping addresses outside of the United States or Canada will be cancelled and refunded, less processing fees.
  4. Seed orders must be placed through the website’s Order Seeds page.
    • All seeds are limited in quantity and are provided on a first come – first served basis.
    • No orders will be taken via phone, email, mail or any other method.
    • Seed orders will be paid on the same day they are placed in the shopping cart.  No order shall be taken from a saved shopping cart due to the inventory issues it creates.  Saved cart orders will be refunded, less processing fees.
  5. All seed orders are final and are non-refundable.
  6. No cancellation or alteration of an order will be considered after payment.
  7. Orders are shipped via the United States Postal Service.
  8. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for seed orders to be shipped.
  9. APS cannot guarantee delivery and will not refund/replace any order which does not arrive to its destination.  Additionally, lost, damaged, seized, misplaced, stolen, or misdelivered seed orders are not eligible for refund or replacement by APS.
  10. Seed orders placed between May 1 and July 1 will be shipped in July.
  11. APS does not guarantee the identity or viability of any seed selection.
DOWNLOADABLE PRODUCT TERMS
  1. Downloadable products are media in the form of .pdf files.
  2. Download permissions expire in 360 days.
  3. Downloadable products are non-refundable.
  4. After purchase, downloadable product(s) are sent to the email provided at checkout by the customer.
    •  Ordering customers are responsible for managing filters and blocking applications within their email programs. Make sure American Peony Society domains and emails are not blocked or filtered by your email program.   Check spam or promotions folders in such cases in which they do not appear in the main inbox.
  5. Downloadable orders may also be accessed within the customer’s MY ACCOUNT>Orders and will be available for 360 days.
  6. USE POLICY: The American Peony Society (“APS”) solicits a variety of media information produced by members for use in APS publications, websites, social media, and other platforms (“APS Platforms”).  Media includes, but is not limited to the following: books, articles, guides, announcements, advertisements, webpages, blogs, video, social media posts, digital images, and photographs (the “Media”).  All APS materials are fully protected to the extent applicable under copyright law.  This download is for personal use only and may not be reproduced in any form or part for further distribution or use.
CONVENTION TERMS
  1. Participation within meetings, tours, member auction and banquet are paid as “Registration Fees”.  Restricted to members only.
    • Participation in The Flower Show & Exhibition and Seminars are open to the public and are free of charge.
  2. Convention Registration Fees may not cover lodging, which are arranged for separately by individually attending members, thus are not the responsibility of APS.
  3. Convention Registration and associated fees may be refundable under the following conditions (updated 2024):
    • In the event a member has made payment and is unable to attend, the following will apply (beginning in 2025):
      • All but $50 will be refunded up until approximately 2 months prior to convention start.
      • All but $100 will be refunded up until approximately 1 month prior to convention start.
      • No refunds will be made if cancellation is less than 1 month prior to convention start.
  4. Registration Fees are paid for the entire convention and may not be broken down into sub-parts if members do not or cannot attend all functions.  No single part of the convention may be cancelled or refunded.
  5. In some cases, APS may offer special “add-on” activities which are non-refundable in whole. (examples: special tours, optional classes outside of normal convention offerings).
WEBSITE TERMS
  1. MEDIA.  Media includes, but is not limited to the following: articles, guides, announcements, advertisements, webpages, blogs, video, social media posts, digital images, and photographs (the “Media”).
    • All Media submitted to and used by APS is fully protected to the extent applicable under copyright law.
    • Such Media submissions are solely owned by the member author and the member author does not grant any ownership rights to APS by submitting Media to APS.
    • Member authors retain the ability to use submitted Media at their sole discretion.
    • Submission to APS grants APS the limited right to publish such Media on APS Platforms.
    • Any use of Media without the prior written consent of the member author is considered unauthorized and deemed theft.
    • APS cannot grant reproduction and use permissions.
    • APS cannot supply member owner/author names, upon request, for privacy reasons.
  2. Public Website.
    • The public side of the website may be used by anyone interested in peonies.
    • Media terms, as listed in section 1 of these terms apply.
    • The APS Website Platform and all its contents is fully protected to the extent applicable under copyright law.
  3. Member Portal Website.
    • The Member Portal is available to Members holding a current APS Membership.
    • Media terms, as listed in section 1 of these terms apply.
    • The APS Member Portal Website Platform and all its contents is fully protected to the extent applicable under copyright law.
    • Online Reading material is not to be printed or distributed and is fully protected to the extent applicable under copyright law.
  4. OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS MAY APPLY.  THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS MAY BE FOUND WITHIN INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTS, POSTS, IMAGES AND OTHER APS DOCUMENTATION.

Renewing Your APS Membership

A few short steps  (2024 Update)

 

Due to the complexities and some changes in membership options, the website may not be able to process a renewal through a “renewal link”.   We apologize if you are experiencing problems with renewal and would like to provide you with assistance.  Please try one of the following, if applicable:

  1.  Payment Failed?  Login and go to MY ACCOUNT (in upper right navigation).  Once in MY ACCOUNT go to the Payment Methods tab and update your card (make sure you look to the far right and fill in the expiration date).  Save the card.  After this is done, please try renewing your membership in the Subscriptions tab.  If you are unable to do so please contact [email protected].  Note:  American Express credit cards are often denied, thus we recommend the use of another card type.
  2. If you are unable to renew due to renewal links which do not work.  First attempt to purchase a new membership at:  Purchase Memberships.  The APS Membership Chair will record it as a renewal if you were a member the previous year.  If you are not able to purchase a new membership or run into problems, please contact  [email protected].  The Website Manager will likely need to clear your data and then will have you purchase a new membership.  Website services will supply you with a short set of instructions to help you with this – its easy and fast!

Other important points:

  1. The membership system will not allow you to purchase a new membership if you already have a current one.  To renew a membership please do so after January 1 of the year.
  2. The membership system will not allow early renewal.  This is for the benefit of members who may have forgotten the expiration date of their current membership.  To check the status of a membership:
    • Login the website
    • Select MY ACCOUNT in the upper right navigation.  This shows up after you login.
    • In MY ACCOUNT, click on the Subscriptions tab.
    • Your memberships will be listed there with associated details.
  3.  APS Administrators are not able to access your personal APS account for security/privacy reasons.  Thus, we are not able to turn ON or OFF automatic renewals or change/remove credit card information.  It is the responsibility of the member to manage their account.  SEE TERMS & CONDITIONS for instructions to manage Auto renew.
  4. For further details please visit the Terms & Conditions page.
  5. If you need further assistance, do not hesitate to contact [email protected].  Our volunteers are here to help!

User Guide for MY ACCOUNT

Website User Guide

Two Easy Ways to Join or Renew

Online or By Mail

Commercial Members

Web listing and advertising opportunities