What are the differences between tree peony and herbaceous peony? A quick guide to telling them apart

The herbaceous peony and the tree peony are known together as “the two supreme flowers.” Since ancient times it has been said: “The tree peony is the king of flowers, the herbaceous peony is the minister of flowers.” The tree peony and the herbaceous peony, both in the family Paeoniaceae, do have similarities. Especially in online photos, tree peonies and herbaceous peonies are often shot with huge blooms, and their faces look so alike that one could “call a deer a horse.”

Herbaceous peony

The herbaceous peony, also known as jiangli, licao and other names, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the order Saxifragales, family Ranunculaceae, genus Paeonia. Its petals are obovate, its floral disk is shallowly cup-shaped, and its flowering period is May to June. It generally blooms singly at the top of the stem or near the top in the leaf axil. The original species has white flowers with 5 to 13 petals; horticultural cultivars have rich flower colors, including white, pink, red, purple, yellow, green, black and bicolor, with flower diameters of 10 to 30 cm and petals numbering up to a hundred or more. The herbaceous peony is praised by people as the “flower fairy” and the “minister of flowers,” is listed as one of the “six famous flowers,” and is also called the “May flower god.” Because it has been regarded since ancient times as the flower of love, it is now honored as the representative flower of the Qixi Festival. In most people's understanding, all species included in the Paeonia section of the genus Paeonia are collectively called herbaceous peony.

Tree peony

The tree peony originates from the area of the Qinling Mountains and Daba Mountains in western China, and is a perennial deciduous small shrub. It grows slowly and has a small plant form. It is a precious woody flower unique to our country, with thousands of years of natural growth and more than two thousand years of artificial cultivation history. The tree peony flower is hailed as the king of flowers, and there are abundant related cultural and painting works. The tree peony has long enjoyed the fine names of "national beauty and heavenly fragrance," “flower of wealth and honor” and "king of flowers."

Differences between tree peony and herbaceous peony

1. The most fundamental difference: the tree peony is a woody plant that can grow to 2 m tall, while the herbaceous peony is a (perennial tuberous-rooted) herbaceous plant no taller than 1 m.

2. The tree peony blooms earlier than the herbaceous peony. The tree peony generally blooms in mid-to-late April, while the herbaceous peony blooms in early-to-mid May. The difference in their flowering periods is about 15 days.

3. The tree peony has broad leaves, green on the upper side with a slight yellow tinge, while the herbaceous peony has narrow leaves, dark green on both sides.

4. The flowers of the tree peony are borne at the top of the flowering branch, mostly solitary, with a flower diameter generally around 20 cm; while the flowers of the herbaceous peony are mostly clustered at the top of the branch, with a flower diameter of around 15 cm.

5. The tree peony is called the king of flowers, and the herbaceous peony is called the minister of flowers.

6. The leaves of the tree peony are more grayish green, while the leaves of the herbaceous peony are more glossy.

7. The tree peony has richer and more beautiful flower colors than the herbaceous peony.