Can you save your tree peony? Several of mine have suspicious buds coming from the ground even though I planted the trees deeply. Some of the buds are so close to the tree stem that I don't know if it's tree growth (I may have to excavate).
I'm sorry you all suffered such violent weather down there in the south. I used to live in Florida. I remember when I was little, the temperature dropped below freezing. There was no snow or anything; it was just cold. School was cancelled anyway