What Is the Flower Language of the Peony? A Detailed Explanation of Its Meaning and Symbolism

The peony, with its national beauty and heavenly fragrance, has long been regarded by Chinese people as a symbol of wealth, good fortune, happiness and prosperity. Since the Tang Dynasty, the peony has been exalted as “national beauty and heavenly fragrance.” The peony reigns over all flowers and holds a noble status. Popular verses by Tang Dynasty poets such as Bai Juyi's “The flowers bloom and fall for twenty days, and the whole city is mad with joy” and Liu Yuxi's “Only the peony is truly of national beauty; when it blooms, the capital is stirred” vividly describe the grand spectacle of people pouring out to admire the flowers at that time.

What is the flower language of the peony?

So what is the flower language of the peony? And what does it mean to give a peony? Below, let us look at the flower language of various types of peonies.

1. Peony flower language: perfection, deep affection, wealth, elegance and nobility.

2. Japanese anemone (autumn peony) flower language: life, expectation, faint love.

3. Red peony flower language: the red flower with broad, full petals is called the king of a hundred flowers, and its flower language is ‘wealth and perfection’; its attribute is fire.

4. Purple peony flower language: the peony with purple petals has the flower language of ‘embarrassment’; its attribute is dark.

5. White peony flower language: noble and pure, dignified and elegant, graceful in countless ways, national beauty and heavenly fragrance, a person who keeps their word.

6. Green peony flower language: life, expectation, faint love, wholehearted devotion.

7. Black peony flower language: love even unto death, or loving to death; in fact, there is no pure black peony in the peony family, and people customarily call deep red and deep purple peonies black peonies.

8. Pink peony flower language: elegance and nobility.

9. Yellow peony flower language: bright, rich and luxurious.