First off, let me just say—these peonies are *gorgeous*. The moment I unboxed them, I was struck by how full and vibrant they looked. The purple-pink gradient is so rich, and the dark fuchsia outer petals add depth. They’re not *quite* real (no one’s going to lean in and sniff them), but from across the room? Total illusion.

I used them to brighten up my home office, which gets zero natural light. Real plants wither in here, but these silk peonies stay perky. I shoved them into a tall vase (had to bend the stems—more on that later), and now they’re my Zoom meeting backdrop. Colleagues keep asking if they’re fresh!

The stems are *long*—like, ‘needs-a-floor-vase’ long. I wrestled with them for a bit (they arrive bent in half for shipping), but the wired stems let you customize the shape. Pro tip: Use floral tape to bundle a few together for a bushier look. The leaves feel surprisingly matte, not plasticky, which helps sell the realism.

Value-wise? At ~$4 per stem, they’re cheaper than craft stores but still feel luxe. My only nitpick: The silk has a slight roughness if you rub it (but who does that?). For allergy-prone flower lovers like me, these are a year-round win.