Peony is one of the six famous flowers of ancient my country. The "most" in the saying "Among hundreds of flowers, its name is the most ancient" refers to peony. The name "peony" was first recorded in the "Shennong Bencao Jing" (Shen Nong's Classic of Materia Medica) during the Qin and Han dynasties. Because of its charming shape and vibrant color, it is homophonic with the Chinese character "婥約" (婥約), which describes beautiful appearance, hence the name "shaoyao." It is also known as "jiangli," "moguhua," and "lanweichun."
Cui Bao of the Jin Dynasty wrote in his "Gujin Zhu" (Notes on Ancient and Modern Times): "There are two types of peony: herbaceous peony and wood peony. The wood peony has large, dark-colored flowers and is commonly called peony." The Tang Dynasty also referred to the peony as "wood peony." Thus, the peony and peony are known as "the two most outstanding flowers." Their flower shapes are similar, differing in their herbaceous and woody natures. Li Shizhen once said, "Among all flowers, the peony is first and the peony is second. Therefore, people call the peony the king of flowers and the peony the minister of flowers." This established the peony's status as the minister of flowers. Peony is a perennial herb with large flowers in a variety of shapes. Those with fewer petals include single, lotus, chrysanthemum, and rose forms, while those with more petals include terraced, laurel, golden ring, crown, and hydrangea forms. The variety of flower shapes can reach over ten. The flowers are vibrant and colorful, with white, green, yellow, pink, lavender, purple-red, red, and multi-colored varieties, with purple-red and pink being the predominant colors. Peonies bloom from May to June, in late spring. Because peony blooms were used in ancient times to identify the Qingming and Lixia solar terms, the folk saying "Look for peonies three days after the Lixia" has spread.
Peonies are native to my country and northern Asia. They are cold-tolerant and adaptable, and are cultivated as ornamental plants. They predate tree peonies, dating back over 4,000 years. As the country with the richest variety and type of Paeonia, my country accounts for approximately one-third of the world's Paeonia species. Therefore, my country is both a distribution center for wild peony species and a cultivation center for peony varieties.
The origins of peony cultivation can be traced back to the Xia Dynasty. During the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, my country began to introduce and domesticate wild peonies. "The Jin Palace Pavilion" mentions: "The Jin Palace Pavilion is named Huizhang, and six beds of peonies are planted in front of the hall." Peonies were used for ornamental purposes at the imperial court. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, peonies became widely popular, with cultivation increasing dramatically. They also began to appear in ordinary households, and poems dedicated to them began to appear. Meng Jiao's poem "Viewing Flowers" reads: "Every household has peonies, so gentle and tender." By the Song Dynasty, new peony varieties for horticultural cultivation continued to emerge. Wang Guan's "Yangzhou Peony Catalogue" records eight new varieties, including "Yuyi Huang," "Yanghua Guanzi," and "Yuanhuang Guanzi." During the Ming and Qing dynasties, peonies gained increasing popularity. Liu Kai's poem "Viewing Peonies in the East of the City" posits: "Outside the Xiaohuang City, peonies bloom, and morning glow appears every five or ten miles. Houses stand in front of and behind the flowers, and every household cultivates them like mulberry trees and hemp." Peonies are incredibly popular. Currently, their primary cultivation areas in my country are North China, Shaanxi, and southern Gansu, and they are also widely cultivated in over 50 countries, including the United States, France, the Netherlands, and Japan.
Although easy to grow and maintain, peonies have fleshy, robust roots that are susceptible to waterlogging. Raised platforms are suitable for planting in areas with difficult drainage or high rainfall.
Peonies grow in clusters and are well-suited for planting in large patches, creating breathtaking "seas of flowers." In gardens, peonies can be combined with rocks for a more scenic effect. Peonies can also be used as cut flowers at weddings. The earliest recorded mention of this plant can be found in the "Zhengfeng" section of the "Book of Songs": "The man and the woman, jokingly giving each other peonies." Peony has become a gift between men and women during both dating and parting times, expressing a promise of love or a sense of farewell. Therefore, peony is also known as "Jiangli," "Keli," "Heli," and "Licao," and has been a symbol of love in my country since ancient times.
This shows that peony is a very important garden plant, offering excellent landscape and ecological benefits in specialty gardens, urban landscaping, potted plants, cut flowers, and other garden and horticultural applications.
Peony is also a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, mentioned in both the "Shennong Bencao Jing" and the "Shanghan Zabing Lun." Modern pharmacological research shows that peony contains a large number of chemical components, including terpenes, glycosides, tannins, polysaccharides, and alkaloids, exhibiting antibacterial and antidepressant properties. It is also effective in improving memory and immunity, and treating conditions such as palpitations and asthma. Therefore, the ancient term "flower god" for peony has been passed down to this day, and there is a basis for this.
