American Peony Society

What American Peony Society does

The American Peony Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization founded in 1903 and incorporated in the United States, with operational headquarters in Waterloo, Canada. It is the sole International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for the genus Paeonia, an appointment made by the International Society for Horticultural Science in 1974. The society maintains the official International Registry of Peony Cultivars — a searchable database of more than 7,914 registered cultivars — and operates the underlying technology platform with Webfitters as its website developer. Core technology assets include the cultivar registry database, the Bloom Date Project (a research dataset correlating bloom timing to Peony Red Charm), and genomic/viral identification studies used for germplasm conservation.

The society generates revenue through six streams: tiered membership dues (Individual/Dual, Commercial, Institutional, Online Only, and Gift tiers priced $30–$325 annually across US, Canada, and Other Countries geographies), $40 per-submission new cultivar registration fees processed via Stripe and PayPal, a Seed Distribution Program (US/Canada only), online and live peony auctions (US shipping only), a bookstore of cultivar directories and peony literature, and Bulletin advertising/sponsorships from commercial members. Membership auto-renews on annual, 3-year, or 5-year cadences and is non-refundable. The organization also runs the Annual Convention and Flower Show, a Mentorship Program pairing beginners with experienced growers, and awards programs including the Gold Medal, Award of Landscape Merit, and A.P. Saunders Memorial Medal.

The society serves a heterogeneous base of individual gardeners and hobbyists (primary), hybridizers and scientists, botanical and public gardens, and commercial growers/vendors. Distribution combines a global e-commerce website with US Postal Service physical delivery of bulletins and seeds, plus a regional annual convention and a public Vendor Listings directory. Partnerships include the ISHS (core, since 1974), Washington State University Extension (educational content), and Webfitters (technology platform). Marketing is conducted via the website, quarterly APS Bulletin, Constant Contact newsletter, Instagram, and Pinterest. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with no parent company or institutional ownership.

Name

American Peony Society

Legal name

American Peony Society

Website

https://americanpeonysociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The American Peony Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1903 that serves as the sole International Cultivar Registration Authority for the genus Paeonia. It operates a 7,914+ cultivar registry, a tiered membership program, the quarterly APS Bulletin, seed distribution, auctions, and an annual convention serving gardeners, hybridizers, botanical gardens, and commercial growers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horticultural Society and Plant Cultivar Registry

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Breed Registry, Pedigree & Performance Recording Services (AFAEAJAD)

Keywords

• Peony cultivar registry
• Horticultural society
• Plant cultivar registration
• Peony cultivar naming
• Garden society membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Ames

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Primary revenue source from membership dues. Members pay annual, 3-year, or 5-year subscriptions with tiered pricing based on location (US, Canada, Other Countries) and membership type (Individual/Dual, Commercial, Institutional, Online Only).
2. Cultivar Registration Fees: Revenue from processing new peony cultivar registrations. Each submission costs $40 USD, processed through the New Cultivar Submission Utility.
3. Seed Distribution Program: Annual seed distribution program where members can request peony seeds for a fee. Seeds are shipped to US and Canadian addresses only.
4. Auctions: Online and live peony auctions where members can bid on rare, new, or popular peony cultivars. Available to US shipping addresses only.
5. Publications and Bookstore: Revenue from APS Bulletin, cultivar directories, checklists, and peony-related books available for purchase through the APS Bookstore.
6. Advertising and Sponsorships: Commercial members can advertise in the APS Bulletin and receive free website listings after completing required vendor documents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The American Peony Society operates as the official International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for peonies, maintaining the central registry of peony cultivar names with 7,914+ entries. It delivers a tiered membership program, publishes a member bulletin and cultivar books, runs a seed program, hosts auctions and an annual convention, and supports hybridizer research and peony cultivation education for gardeners worldwide.

Product overview

The American Peony Society operates as a non-profit membership organization offering a platform of interconnected products and services centered around peony education, cultivation, and appreciation. The core offerings include the Peony Registry (the Official International Database with over 7,000 registered cultivars), Membership (with multiple tiers providing access to publications and member resources), The Bulletin (quarterly publication), Seed Distribution Program, and New Cultivar Registration services (as the International Cultivar Registration Authority since 1974). Supporting services include the Annual Convention and Flower Show, Member Portal (exclusive online resources), Bookstore (publications and guides), Mentorship Program, Auctions, Vendor Listings, and educational resources covering floral design and photography. The society functions as both a registration authority and community hub for gardeners, collectors, hybridizers, educators, scientists, floral designers, and commercial growers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Peony Cultivar Registry

Quantifiable outcome

• Registry Database: 7,914+ registered peony cultivars maintained
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1974ISHS appointed the American Peony Society as the International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for Peonies in 1974. APS supervises nomenclature and publishes new registrations, with cultivar names published in the quarterly APS Bulletin and ICNCP requirements fulfilled.
• Washington State University ExtensionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSU Extension published a Grower's Guide to the Most Common Diseases of Peony in the United States, which is referenced and hosted by APS as an educational resource for members and the public.
• WebfitterssupportingTechnology or IntegrationWebfitters developed and maintains the American Peony Society website platform. Credited as website developer on the APS site footer.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Orchid Society: Non-profit membership organization centered on orchids, operating cultivar/judging programs, awards, a magazine, and educational resources. Mirrors APS as a specialist genus society with registration, judging, and publication infrastructure.
• American Iris Society: Specialist non-profit society for irises, with cultivar registration, regional groups, a quarterly bulletin, conventions, and awards — directly comparable in scope and revenue mix to APS.
• American Dahlia Society: US non-profit society for a single ornamental genus with cultivar classification, shows, publications, and membership dues — the same operating model as APS but applied to dahlias.
• North American Lily Society: Specialist genus society for lilies operating cultivar registration, a quarterly bulletin, seed exchanges, annual shows, and membership dues — a near-identical peer in operating mechanics.
• American Rose Society: A US-based non-profit membership society dedicated to a single ornamental flower genus (roses), maintaining cultivar registries, publishing a magazine, hosting conventions, and running competitive exhibitions — structurally analogous to APS in mission, revenue model, and community programming.
• International Dendrology Society: International non-profit society dedicated to woody plants, with publications, expeditions, and cultivar/botanical reference work — comparable to APS in international specialist-society positioning.

Broad incumbents

• American Horticultural Society: US-wide horticultural charity with broad plant-scope programming, publications, and educational resources. A multi-genre umbrella organization offering overlapping but broader services than APS's peony-specific focus.
• Royal Horticultural Society: Large UK-based horticultural charity operating across all plant genera with publications (The Garden), shows (Chelsea Flower Show), cultivar databases, and educational programs. A broader incumbent offering many of the same services as APS but at vastly greater scale and scope.

Regional players

• Perennial Plant Association: Trade/membership association for the perennial horticulture industry, focused on professional growers and landscapers rather than a single genus. Adjacent in audience and trade-show/convention model to APS.
• Pacific Peony Society: A smaller, regionally-focused peony society serving Pacific Northwest growers. Functions as a partial-overlap, geography-segmented peer that competes for peony-specific community attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/americanpeonysociety
• Pinterestpinterest.com/americanpeonysoc/?eq=American%20Peony%20Society&etslf=1583
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanPeonySociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-peony-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Peony Society