What is the difference 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 Paeoniaceae family, do have similarities. This is especially true of tree peonies and herbaceous peonies in online photos, which are often shot with huge blooms and look so alike that one could "call a deer a horse."

Herbaceous peony

The herbaceous peony, also known by other names such as Jiangli and Licao, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Paeonia, family Ranunculaceae, order Saxifragales. Its petals are obovate, its floral disk is shaped like a shallow cup, and its flowering period is from May to June. It usually blooms singly at the top of the stem or in the leaf axils near the top. The original species has white flowers with 5 to 13 petals; horticultural cultivars have a rich variety of flower colors, including white, pink, red, purple, yellow, green, black and bicolor, with flower diameters of 10 to 30 cm and up to hundreds of petals. The herbaceous peony is praised as the "fairy of flowers" 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 Qixi Festival. In most people's understanding, all species included in the Paeonia section under the genus Paeonia are collectively called herbaceous peonies.

Tree peony

The tree peony originated in 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 is hailed as the king of flowers, and there are many cultural and painting works about it. The tree peony has long been known by such fine names as "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 root tuber) 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 or so.

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 the upper and lower sides.

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