The peonies in these parts start bursting forth in June, and for the longest time I thought ants somehow helped the blooms open up. Well, according to this great article by George Vopal from a few years back (https://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2016/5/15/on-peonies-and-ants) this appears to be a myth; peonies will open without ants! So why are there ants on peonies? Turns out the stems produce sugary secretions that ants can’t resist. And if another insect tries to take a bite out of a bud, the ants quickly swarm and drive it off, so the ants are the protectors of these buds – it’s a win-win. Nature is a wonder.
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