Peonies

Peonies are herbaceous perennials. There are 30 species of Peonies, but some are woody shrubs with 10 species. Peonies were named in honour of Paeon, the physician of the gods. Peonies produce large, often fragrant flowers. Blooming inlate spring and early summer,Peonies come in shades of red to white or yellow. Peonies are native to Asia, Southern Europe and Western North America.

Kingdom

Plantae

Division

Magnoliophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Saxifragales

Family

Paeoniaceae

Genus

Paeonia

Peonies are hardy flowering plants that need little care and live through severe winters. After becoming established in a garden, Peonies bloom each spring for many years. Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented cut flowers.

Peonies have been cultivated in China for more than 2,000 years, not only for the beautiful flowers but for also for the roots, which were used for food and medicine. The herbaceous Peonies have been cultivated in home gardens for over 600 years. Clumps of Peonies may survive for as long as 50 years, and they are reasonably free from maintenance problems.

Facts About Peonies

• The Roman legions first brought Peonies to England in about year 1200.
• Peonies were described in botanical books as early as 1636.
• Peonies (along with the Plum Blossoms) are the traditional floral symbols of China, where it is called Mudan. In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the Peony as the national flower of China.
• If grown in the sun, leaves of Peonies turn from green to burgundy in just one week. Planted among fall-flowering perennials such as Echinacea purpurea (the purple cone flower) and Eupatorum purpureum, Peonies come into their own color once again!
• The Japanese name for the Peony, Ebisugusuri means medicine from China. In traditional folk medicine, Peony root was used as a treatment for menstrual cramps, asthma and convulsions.

Varieties of Peonies

There are two types of Peonies grown in home gardens-
1. The garden or herbaceous type or Paeonia hybrids, have full bushy stems that grow two to four feet tall, - and Garden peonies grow from tubers.
2. Tree peony or Paeonia suffruticosa types often grow to eye-level height on woody stems with few branches. Tree Peonies are shrublike plants grown either from seed or from grafts.
Some of the few varieties of Peonies are:

• Chinese cut flower Peonies with large double flowers in shades of red, pink, and white.
• Semi-double Peonies, characterized by several rows of petals and a centre of petals mixed with stamens.
• Anemone Peonies, similar to the double Chinese variety of peonies, but with a centre of narrow petals.
• Japanese Peonies, noted for the contrasting color of the centre petals and their finely divided foliage.
• Fernleaf Peonies with delicate, fern-like foliage, are dwarf in stature, and bloom very early.
• Single Peonies with only a few rows of petals, standing in their utter simplicity.