The Peony Garden At Nichols Arboretum
About two miles from my front door is one of Michigan’s hidden gems for those of us who love flowers. For over a century, the W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden at the University of Michigan’s Nichols Arboretum has been a beloved attraction, drawing over 100,000 visitors during the spring when these flowers are in bloom. The garden, while smaller in footprint than you would think, boasts about 350 historic herbaceous varieties from the 19th and 20th centuries. When in peak bloom, you can see a field of over 10,000 blossoms in shades of pink, red, and white.
Landscape photo of the garden at sunrise in full bloom from this past spring (2026).
In 1922 the Regents of the University of Michigan appropriated $2,000 to establish the Peony Garden at the Nichols Arboretum. A critically-evaluated and large collection of herbaceous peonies was being offered by Dr. W. E. Upjohn, an alumnus of the University of Michigan (1875) and founder of the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Dr. Upjohn contributed peonies from his own extensive collection, and nationally recognized experts and nursery owners donated exceptional selections to create the gardens we enjoy today.
Image of the Peony Garden circa 1930. Image coutosey of the digital collection from the Bentley Historical Library: Bentley Image Bank. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhl/x-hs11905/hs11905. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections.
This spring, during a visit I captured the video below showcasing the garden at sunset. There was a lot of excitement about the peony garden as this video garnered over 60,000 views.
The historic information about the garden for this post came from the Matthaei Botanical Gradens and Nichols Arboretum website. I encourage you to visit the website for more history and details to help you plan your next visit to this beautiful spring destination.
