How to Propagate Hosta? Detailed Guide to Seed Sowing and Cutting Methods
Hosta is a highly ornamental flowering plant that is cultivated in many regions of our country. However, as more people grow it, questions about its propagation have become a concern for many. So how do you propagate hosta? What propagation methods are there for hosta? Below, the editor will walk you through it.
Hosta is a highly ornamental flowering plant that is cultivated in many regions of our country. However, as more people grow it, questions about its propagation have become a concern for many. So how do you propagate hosta? What propagation methods are there for hosta? Below, the editor will walk you through it.
I. How to Propagate Hosta
As for how to propagate hosta, the two most commonly used methods are seed sowing and cutting. As long as the methods are correct, the survival rate of these two propagation methods is relatively high. In the section below on hosta propagation methods, there is a detailed introduction to both propagation methods. Let's take a look together.
II. Hosta Propagation Methods
Seed Sowing Propagation
1. Soil Selection
Before propagating hosta by seed sowing, we first need to select the soil. For soil, we can choose a highly loose humus soil. This type of soil has good drainage and allows hosta to better absorb nutrients.
2. Seed Soaking
After selecting hosta seeds, we need to first soak them in warm water. The soaking time is generally between 12-24 hours. During soaking, you can observe that once the seeds absorb water and swell, they can be removed for sowing. This can promote seed germination.
3. Sowing Method
Among hosta propagation methods, seed sowing is a relatively commonly used method. First, we can evenly scatter the seeds on the soil surface, then cover them with about 2cm of soil and water them. When watering, make sure to water thoroughly in one go. After about 7-10 days, they will germinate.
Cutting Propagation
1. Cutting Selection
Before carrying out cutting propagation, we first need to select cuttings (hosta branches). It is best to choose vigorously growing branches, as the survival rate will be higher. If you choose branches that look frail, they will basically be very difficult to survive.
2. Cutting Method
Among hosta propagation methods, cutting propagation is relatively simple. When cutting, we can first use a chopstick to poke a hole in the soil, then insert the hosta into the hole, press the soil flat, and water it. Water thoroughly in one go, but remember not to cause waterlogging, otherwise it can easily lead to root rot. After watering, roots will form in 20-30 days.
Michelia alba Profile: How to Grow Michelia alba / How to Propagate Michelia alba
Michelia alba ProfileMichelia alba
Michelia alba Cultivation Methods and Precautions - Introduction to Michelia alba
Michelia alba (scientific name: Michelia x alba) is an evergreen native plant growing in South China, Southwest China, and Southeast Asia, generally reaching a height of 10-13 m. Michelia alba is a tree belonging to the Magnoliaceae family, Michelia genus, naturally hybridized from Michelia champaca and Michelia montana, with about 49 species in the same genus. English name: White Champaca. Its flower shape resembles the bud of a Ficus virens, and in the Southwest region it is also known by the alias Huanggelan.
Morphological Characteristics of Michelia alba
An evergreen native plant growing in South China. Evergreen tree, up to 17-20 m tall, bark grayish-white, young branches often green, few branches. Leaves alternate, relatively large, long elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic, entire margin, thin leathery. Flowers solitary in the leaf axils of current-year branches, buds resembling the tip of a writing brush. White or slightly yellowish, extremely fragrant.
Evergreen tree, up to 17 m tall, branches spreading widely, forming a broad umbrella-shaped crown; DBH 30 cm; bark gray; crushed branches and leaves aromatic; young branches and buds densely covered with pale yellowish-white puberulent hairs, hairs gradually falling off when old. Leaves thin leathery, long elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic, 10-27 cm long, 4-9.5 cm wide, apex long acuminate or caudate-acuminate, base cuneate, glabrous above, sparsely puberulent below, both surfaces with obvious reticulate veins when dry; petiole 1.5-2 cm long, sparsely puberulent; stipular scar almost reaching the middle of the petiole. Flowers white, extremely fragrant; tepals 10, lanceolate, 3-4 cm long, 3-5 mm wide; connective of stamens extending into a long pointed tip; gynoecium puberulent, gynophore about 4 mm long; carpels numerous, usually partially undeveloped, at maturity forming a sparsely arranged aggregate fruit as the receptacle extends; follicles bright red when ripe. Flowering period April-September, blooming profusely in summer, usually not fruiting.
Flowering period June-October, most abundant in summer.
Ecological Habits of Michelia alba
Prefers environments with abundant sunlight, warm and humid conditions, and good ventilation. Not cold-tolerant, not shade-tolerant, and also afraid of high temperatures and strong light. Prefers well-drained, loose, fertile, slightly acidic soil. Most averse to smoke, typhoons, and waterlogging. Poor resistance to sulfur dioxide and chlorine gas. Grows relatively fast with strong sprouting ability. In South China, under suitable temperature conditions, it blooms continuously year-round. The tree has a graceful form, with clear emerald-green leaves and pure white flowers, fragrant as an orchid.
Michelia alba Cultivation Techniques and Care Points
II. Care Points for Michelia alba: Sunlight should be abundant and soft; water and fertilizer should be frequent and generous except in winter; temperature and humidity should be suitable.
① Sunlight should be abundant and soft: It should receive soft sunlight during the day and can be appropriately shaded in the afternoon.
Although Michelia alba likes light, it cannot tolerate direct sunlight. Before noon, we can let it receive direct sunlight, but in the afternoon we must be sure to shade it. In summer, Michelia alba can be placed under tree shade to receive scattered light, avoiding direct sunlight so the flowers and leaves do not wilt.
② Water and fertilizer should be frequent and generous except in winter: Normally water frequently and apply generous amounts of fertilizer; in winter, water less and fertilizer can be omitted.
Michelia alba prefers a humid growing environment, especially in the hot summer. We must water Michelia alba once every morning and evening each day. If the weather is too hot, we should also pay attention to spraying water on its branches and leaves or the surrounding area more often to dissipate heat and increase air humidity. Similarly, when fertilizing, apply more dilute liquid fertilizer. Basically, fertilizer can be applied once every 5-7 days, but be careful to dilute the fertilizer as much as possible, otherwise it may burn the roots. In winter, the frequency of watering needs to be gradually reduced, and fertilization does not matter - it is best not to apply any.
③ Temperature and humidity should be suitable: Move indoors after the Autumn Equinox; temperature must not be lower than 5°C; the room should be ventilated and keep moisture.
Generally speaking, once the Autumn Equinox passes, we can move Michelia alba indoors for cultivation. As the weather gradually turns colder, more attention should be paid to keeping Michelia alba warm. If the indoor temperature is always below 5°C, Michelia alba cannot safely get through the winter. In addition, the room should be ventilated as much as possible. If the indoor air is relatively dry, sprinkle some water on the ground to maintain moisture. Temperature and humidity are both very important for the normal growth of Michelia alba, and these are areas we need to pay more attention to.
Fertilization Methods
June to September is the peak flowering period of Michelia alba. During this nearly four-month peak flowering period, to keep the flowers blooming continuously, strengthening fertilizer management is most important. While Michelia alba is flowering, the plant is also growing rapidly and has a high fertilizer demand. On one hand, flowering consumes a large amount of nutrients; on the other hand, the plant itself also needs large amounts of nutrients for growth. If fertilizer is insufficient, not only will the flowers become smaller and fewer, but the plant itself will also become increasingly thin and weak. Therefore, from June to September, it is necessary to continuously apply sufficient fertilizer solution. Fertilize once every five to seven days. A concentration of half water and half fertilizer is most suitable. While fertilizing, there should be sufficient watering.
Michelia alba Care
1. It likes sunny and humid environments and should not be grown long-term in alkaline soil. When planting, choose a wind-sheltered, sunny, well-drained, and fertile location. Before flowering, there should be sufficient water and fertilizer to promote large flowers with a rich fragrance. Michelia alba has few branches. Apart from dead branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, and branches that disrupt the tree shape, generally no pruning is needed. After the flowers fade, if seeds are not wanted, the fruit should be cut off to avoid consuming nutrients.
Avoid strong sunlight in the summer afternoon (to prevent sunburn damage to branches and leaves). Whenever there is continuous drizzle in autumn or heavy rain in summer, the pot or tub should be moved to a rain-sheltered place in advance to avoid root rot from excessive waterlogging. In winter, choose an indoor location that receives sunlight and has good sealing. To prevent frost damage to the roots, the pot or tub containing Michelia alba should also be wrapped with plastic film.
2. Good ventilation is required, otherwise it is prone to red spider mite infestation, and affected plants will have yellowing and falling leaves. In this case, besides spraying pesticide to kill the insects, move the pot to a cool place, restrict watering, and new leaves will soon grow again.
3. Mastering watering is the key to growing Michelia alba well. Because Michelia alba has fleshy roots, it is most afraid of waterlogging. Even a slight negligence in watering can cause disease or root rot. But it is also afraid of drought. In summer, if watering is even slightly delayed, the leaf margins will develop scorch or even burn the tender shoots. Poor growth and sallow leaf color are often caused by improper watering, and diseased plants are even harder to deal with. Therefore, watering must be strictly controlled. If the potting soil is not dry, absolutely do not water. Summer and autumn are the peak growing seasons for Michelia alba. Hot weather means high water demand. Generally, water thoroughly in the early morning and supplement with another watering in the evening depending on how dry the potting soil is. After mid-September, reduce water volume. In summer and autumn, after rain, do not let water accumulate in the pot.
4. Michelia alba particularly likes fertilizer. Only with sufficient fertilizer will there be many flowers with a rich fragrance. Besides applying sufficient base fertilizer, from mid-April, apply decomposed cake fertilizer water or human waste 3-4 times per month. Once entering the flowering period, the fertilizer concentration can be appropriately increased, and supplement with phosphorus-based complete-element compound fertilizer 2-3 times per month. Phosphorus fertilizer can also be directly scattered on the surface of the potting soil, 30-100 grams per pot depending on pot size, allowing it to seep into the roots with watering.
5. Michelia alba only sprouts twice a year - in spring and during the dog days. In between, there is a period when the branches stop growing, and then the second sprouting occurs. It grows branches while flowering. After each sprouting, it can bloom five or six flowers, with a flowering period from May to September. Therefore, during the growing season, diseased branches, dead branches, and leggy branches should be pruned, and some old leaves removed to control tree vigor, which helps promote flower bud formation and improve flower quality. The best time to remove old leaves is after the first peak growth period, and it can also be done appropriately in the following spring.
6. Michelia alba commonly develops leaf spot disease, fungal rot, and aphid infestation.
Flowering Period Care
7. August and September are the peak growing season and peak flowering period for Michelia alba. During this time, improper care can cause leaf withering or even the death of the entire plant. With good care, it will have lush branches and leaves with continuous blooming. According to the author's experience, care during this period should master the following points:
1. Light should be soft. Michelia alba likes light. In summer, it can be placed under a shaded flower shed. Open the curtain in the morning to let it receive sunlight. After 9 o'clock, cover it properly to shade from sunlight, especially avoiding direct strong light at noon.
2. Water should be frequent. Michelia alba likes humidity. In summer, water frequently. It is best to water thoroughly once in the morning and once in the evening each day. On hot days, spray water on the leaves and surrounding area twice in the morning and afternoon each to increase humidity. Because its roots are fleshy and afraid of waterlogging, reduce or skip watering on cloudy and rainy days. If exposed to rain, promptly ensure drainage in the pot to prevent roots from rotting from soaking, which can cause the entire plant to die. Since Michelia alba is a typical acid-loving flower and afraid of alkalinity, and northern water is relatively alkaline, long-term use can cause leaf yellowing and falling. Therefore, when watering, it is best to alternate with stored rainwater, or water with ferrous sulfate solution.
3. Fertilizer should be generous. Michelia alba likes heavy fertilizer and abundant water during the growing period. Not only should it be watered well, but fertilizer should also be applied well. Liquid fertilizer is best. Mix horsetail slices, sesame paste, and ferrous sulfate in a 1:1:0.5 ratio, soak in water for one week, ferment, then dilute with clean water and apply once every 5 days for better results - leaves will be broad and thick, and flowers will be richly fragrant.
4. Pest prevention. In summer, Michelia alba is most susceptible to red spider mite damage. Normally, spray water on the leaf surfaces and the plant more often to increase humidity and prevent pest outbreaks. If an infestation occurs, when the number is small, use a sprayer to spray clean water to wash the leaves. If there are many insects, spray 1000 times diluted 20% dicofol emulsifiable concentrate to eliminate them.
Michelia alba - Getting Through Winter Warmly
After Michelia alba enters winter, the following points need to be done well for it to safely overwinter.
1. Temperature. Whether Michelia alba can safely overwinter depends greatly on temperature. After the "Autumn Equinox," Michelia alba should be moved indoors. The temperature needs to be maintained at 5-10°C. If the temperature is too high, it should be appropriately cooled.
2. Humidity. Spray water into the air frequently to increase the humidity of the surrounding environment. On clear days, open windows for ventilation from 10 AM to 2 PM, but avoid cold drafts from the north.
3. Light. After Michelia alba is moved indoors, it should be placed in a location with abundant sunlight.
4. Water. Watering should be restricted. Only water after the potting soil is completely dry, and fertilization should be stopped.
5. Around Qingming is the transition period. When the temperature is warmer, the plant can be moved outdoors to a sunny, wind-sheltered spot at noon for leaf spraying, then moved back indoors in the afternoon. Once the temperature stabilizes above 10°C, it can be moved outdoors for normal care.
Disease and Pest Control for Michelia alba
The main diseases and pests of Michelia alba include yellowing disease, root rot, anthracnose, red spider mites, and scale insects. Michelia alba prefers acidic soil. If the soil is alkaline, or if the irrigation water is also alkaline, it can easily cause yellowing disease, characterized by yellowing leaves and blackened, rotting roots. Spray 0.2% ferrous sulfate aqueous solution on the leaf surfaces once every 5-7 days. You can also regularly apply about 0.5% ferrous sulfate aqueous solution for prevention and control.
For anthracnose of Michelia alba, initially the leaf area loses green color and shows small yellow spots, which gradually expand into circular shapes. In severe cases, the leaves wither, turn black, and fall off. Excessive watering, high humidity, and poor ventilation easily trigger this disease. Spray 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution, or 50% thiophanate wettable powder at 500 times dilution, once every 5-10 days for prevention and control.
Root rot. It is a fungal disease. Excessive watering or waterlogging of Michelia alba can easily cause the root system to turn black and rot. In mild cases, growth is poor with yellowing and falling leaves; in severe cases, the entire plant dies. Prevention and control methods: Striving to improve soil drainage conditions is an important measure for disease prevention. Water according to the "see dry, see wet" principle - water thoroughly when you water, and pay attention to loosening the soil. During continuous rainy days, prevent rain exposure and promptly pour out accumulated water in the pot. Place more broken tiles and other drainage materials at the bottom of the pot. When placed outdoors, it is best to prop up the flower pot with bricks to facilitate drainage. If the plant is infected during the growing period, use 65% zineb at 250 times dilution, 50% amobam at 250 times dilution, or 50% carbendazim at 500 times dilution and other chemical agents to irrigate the root soil. [7]
Red spider mites and scale insects will cause Michelia alba leaves to yellow and suck plant sap, causing the plant to wither and die. Their secretions can induce sooty mold. Once scale insects are found, they can be scraped off with a bamboo strip. Red spider mites can be controlled by spraying 1000 times diluted 20% dicofol, or 50% tri-sulfur phosphorus at 1000 times dilution.
Red spider mite damage signs: Carefully inspect the branches and you will find spider webs. Search each leaf and you will find red spiders, but they are very small, only about one-fifth to one-quarter of a millimeter (this is what I encountered at home, but I don't know how large they can grow). They crawl along leaf edges or on the leaves.
Michelia alba Propagation Methods - Layering Propagation
Can use simple layering or air layering. Be careful to secure or tie the branches tightly. When propagating Michelia alba by layering, we can use either the simple layering method or the air layering method. Regardless of which method, it is best to choose late winter to early summer, that is, February to March. For simple layering, cut a wound at the node of the branch, then slowly bend the node into the soil. At the same time, be careful to secure the branch so it does not flip up. Once the branch has rooted, it can be cut away from the main branch. For air layering, we similarly cut open the node area, then tightly wrap the branch with a plastic bag filled with nutrient soil, and tie the bag tightly with string. Spray water appropriately during this period. Once new roots grow from the node area, cut it off and plant it in potting soil.
Grafting Propagation
Can use approach grafting or cut grafting. Approach grafting is easy to succeed; cut grafting grows more vigorously. For Michelia alba grafting, the approach grafting method is more commonly used. For rootstock, we can use Magnolia liliiflora. Select a section of branch of similar thickness from both Michelia alba and Magnolia liliiflora as scion. Then separately peel off the bark at the areas to be approach-grafted. Slowly bring the two cut surfaces together. Once the cut surfaces are in contact, wrap them tightly with wet cloth strips. Generally, in about two months, the approach-grafted area will grow new roots, and at that point it can be cut off and planted separately. The cut grafting method is not used much, so the survival rate is not as high as approach grafting, but cut grafting produces slightly more vigorous growth.
Cultivation and Propagation
Flower Pot and Soil
For household potted Michelia alba, choose loose, highly breathable soil rich in humus. Usually choose well-ventilated clay pots, purple clay pots (tubs), or plastic pots with more bottom holes. The soil in the pot should ideally contain a certain amount of granular soil of varying sizes to facilitate water drainage and air permeability.
Planting and Storage Location
Every year from March to April, move the pots or tubs containing Michelia alba outdoors and place them in a sunny location. Summer temperatures are high, so appropriately use shade netting or build a simple shade shed so that Michelia alba can receive morning sunlight while avoiding strong afternoon sunlight in summer (to prevent sunburn damage to branches and leaves).
Pruning
For potted Michelia alba, choose a suitable height and use pruning shears to cut off the terminal buds and shorten some side branches. After the terminal buds are cut off, it helps promote more side branches, more flower buds, and more flowers.
Disease and Pest Control
Michelia alba commonly develops leaf spot disease, fungal rot, and aphid infestation.
Repotting
Replace with appropriately sized pots or tubs according to the size of the Michelia alba crown and the age of the tree, to facilitate vigorous plant growth. When repotting, wait until the potting soil is slightly dry, slowly tilt the pot (or turn it upside down), support the pot with one hand, grip the plant firmly with the other, and tip the Michelia alba out into the new pot. The new pot (tub) should first be lined with a small amount of loose soil, then water thoroughly, and it will stabilize once planted.
Fertilization
During the vigorous growing period of Michelia alba (usually May-June or July-August each year), apply flower fertilizer once every half month or so, or apply a small amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium compound fertilizer around the 20th, 2 grams to 6 grams each time. Specific operation: First use a small iron shovel to make several vertical and horizontal small grooves in the potting soil, then slowly scatter the fertilizer into the grooves, cover with the surface soil from the pot, and water a little. Let the fertilizer gradually seep into the plant's roots with each watering. Never scatter fertilizer directly at the roots, to avoid "burning roots" from excessive fertilizer concentration in the soil around the roots. Apply thin fertilizer frequently; cake fertilizer is best. Do not fertilize in winter. From after new buds sprout until June, apply fertilizer water once every 3-4 days. From July to September, apply fertilizer water once every 5-6 days. After applying fertilizer several times, skip one application.
Watering
Whether watering is done properly is the key to caring well for Michelia alba. Michelia alba should not be watered too frequently or excessively. The correct watering method should be: moisten the potting soil thoroughly in one go. When the potting soil is slightly dry, there is no need to water. Remember not to water every day, but you can regularly use a small spray bottle to spray water on the leaves. In summer, water thoroughly no fewer than three or four times per month (plus spraying water on the leaves). An easier method to master is: whenever you see Michelia alba leaves drooping, it is time to water. In autumn, water thoroughly two or three times per month. In winter, water thoroughly once or twice per month. Because the root system is fleshy, it is afraid of waterlogging and cannot tolerate drought. In spring when moving outdoors, water thoroughly once, then water thoroughly every other day. In summer, water once in the morning and once in the evening; in extreme drought, spray water on the leaf surfaces. In autumn, water once every 2-3 days. In winter, withhold water; the potting soil only needs to be slightly moist. After rain, promptly pour out accumulated water.
Temperature: Not cold-tolerant. Except in South China, in all other regions it must be moved indoors for winter care. The minimum room temperature should be maintained above 5°C. The suitable time for moving outdoors is from Qingming to Guyu.
Propagation:
Commonly propagated by layering and grafting. Layering: In June-July, use the air layering method, keep moist, and roots will form in about 2 months. Grafting: Use two-year-old Magnolia liliiflora as rootstock. During the plum rain season, select Michelia alba branches of the same thickness as the rootstock. After grafting, they will heal in 60-70 days, and can be cut from the mother plant to become a new plant.
Michelia alba propagation can use grafting, layering, cutting, sowing, and other methods, but the most commonly used are grafting and layering.
Grafting Propagation
There are two grafting methods: one is approach grafting, and the other is cut grafting.
Approach grafting: The approach grafting time can be from spring to autumn, throughout the entire growing season. Most are done from April to July. The best position for approach grafting is 70 cm above the ground. After binding, wrap with a mud ball and cover the outside with leaves to prevent rain from washing it away. After about 60 days, it can be cut off. Approach grafting is an easier method for survival, but it does not grow as vigorously as cut grafting.
Layering Propagation
Layering propagation also has two types: simple layering and air layering.
① Simple layering: Layering is best done in February-March. Cut halfway through the base of the branch to be layered, then cut upward another section, insert a piece of tile in between, then gently bend it into the soil without breaking it. Use a "U"-shaped thick wire inserted into the soil to secure it and prevent it from tilting up, then pile soil on top. For spring layering, once root buds emerge, it can be cut off and planted separately.
② Air layering: Before the dog days, select healthy and disease-free young branches (1.5-2 cm in diameter) from the mother plant. Cut a slit at the lower part of the branch fork, then cover with a bamboo tube or bottomless clay pot, fill it with culture soil, tie it tightly with fine string on the outside, being careful not to disturb it. Spray a small amount of water frequently to keep it moist. Around May of the following year, new roots will grow, and it can be removed and planted.
Distribution Region of Michelia alba
Distribution area: Native to the Himalayan region. Currently cultivated in Beijing and all areas south of the Yellow River basin. In ancient times, it was mostly planted in front of pavilions, terraces, towers, and chambers. Now it is mostly seen in gardens and factory/mining areas as solitary plantings, scattered plantings, or as street trees along roadsides. In the north, it is also grown as potted bonsai. Same genus varieties: Michelia champaca, also known as Huangmiangui, orange-yellow, with a sweet fragrance like osmanthus, even more fragrant than Michelia alba! Its flowering period is later than Michelia alba. Michelia figo has smaller flowers than Michelia alba, yellow-white, solitary in leaf axils, with a banana-type fragrance.
Efficacy and Effects of Michelia alba
The flowers are pure white and fragrant, blooming in summer and autumn, with a long flowering period and dark green leaves. It is a famous ornamental tree species for gardens, often planted as street trees. The flowers can be used to extract essence or scent tea, and can also be processed into extract for medicinal use, with effects of promoting qi flow and resolving turbidity, and treating coughs. Fresh leaves can be used to extract essential oil, called "Michelia alba leaf oil," which can be used for blending essences. Root bark as medicine: treats constipation.
The flowers contain linalool, phenylethyl alcohol, methyl eugenol, and other components, and can be used for scenting tea, brewing wine, or extracting essence. Michelia alba-scented perfumes, skin creams, and cold creams commonly use Michelia alba flowers as an ingredient. It can also be potted, and fresh flowers can be picked for hair ornamentation.
In the 1960s-70s, some young women in Hong Kong, China and Guangdong liked to tuck them in their hair. Now those who wear them as hair ornaments are mostly middle-aged and elderly women.
Medicinal or Dietary Therapeutic Value of Michelia alba
The medical information and health dietary information on Hugarden Network is for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. Any health issues should be consulted with professional medical personnel, and treatment of any disease should follow doctor's orders.
Ultimate flower care mission: Love yourself, start from reality, and follow doctor's orders. For illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope, face it bravely, warm the silent world with love, and care for the flower field in your heart with your heart.
Michelia alba has an upright, branching plant form, graceful and poised. In the south, it can be cultivated in open courtyards and is a backbone tree species in southern gardens. In the north, it is potted and can be used to decorate courtyards, halls, and meeting rooms. Small and medium-sized plants can be displayed in living rooms and studies. Because it is afraid of smoke, it should be placed in a well-ventilated area. Besides being enjoyed for both flowers and leaves, as a fragrance plant, Michelia alba can also serve as both spice and medicine. Michelia alba contains aromatic volatile oils, antioxidants, bactericides, and other substances, and can beautify the environment, purify the air, and fragrance the home. Moreover, the essential oil and dried spice substances extracted from it can also be used for beauty, bathing, food, and medicine. Not only can Michelia alba extracts be used medicinally, but the entire flower can also be directly used as medicine. It is said to have excellent effects on chronic bronchitis, chronic cough from deficiency consumption, and prostatitis. In addition, Michelia alba can also be used to scent flower tea. According to relevant records, pure Michelia alba tea "has a tightly rolled and heavy appearance, dark green and still moist color, fresh, rich, and lasting aroma, thick and still mellow taste, yellow-green and bright liquor color, and tender, even, and bright infused leaves." Source: The flower of Michelia alba, a plant of the Magnoliaceae family, a dicotyledonous medicinal plant. Efficacy: Warm the lungs and stop cough, resolve turbidity. Indications: Treats chronic bronchitis, prostatitis, white turbidity, and leukorrhea in women.
Cultural Background of Michelia alba
It is said that long ago, at the foot of Mount Emei, there was a poor young man surnamed Li who made a living by picking up dog dung. He was born ugly, and people all called him Li Gou'er (Dog Boy). When Gou'er grew to seventeen or eighteen, seeing that many young men in the village had married and started families, he was very envious and hoped that he too would have such a day.
One year, Li Gou'er heard that many young people in the village had gone into the mountains to gather orchids and sell them, making a fortune. He was tempted and also wanted to go into the mountains to gather orchids to sell, so he could save up silver to marry and start a family.
One day, Li Gou'er followed the villagers into the mountains to gather orchids. He didn't find any orchids, but got separated from the group alone. He came to the foot of a cliff, hungry and thirsty, and sat down leaning against the rock wall. Thinking of his miserable fate, he felt resentful and could not help but pound his fist on the rock wall. Unexpectedly, with a "creak," the rock wall suddenly disappeared. He saw flowing clouds rolling and quickly dispersing, and in an instant a magical world appeared. Li Gou'er craned his neck to look. Inside, the sky had sun, moon, and stars, the ground had plants, trees, flowers, and birds. Nearby there was a lawn, and on the lawn were all the orchids he wanted to gather. These orchids were emerald green as if dyed, blooming with various kinds of orchid flowers, giving off waves of delicate fragrance that stirred the heart.
Li Gou'er was overjoyed, thinking about how much money these orchids would sell for if he brought them back. He stepped into the lawn and saw a hosta plant blooming with a snow-white flower, with petals like jade and a multi-lipped labellum, sparkling and radiant. He was so delighted that he quickly bent down to pull it. Suddenly someone patted him on the shoulder. He looked up and saw an old woman in blue smiling at him, asking him: "Li Gou'er, you want to steal my immortal herb, the Michelia alba!" Li Gou'er blushed and laughed foolishly. The old woman said again: "My immortal herb is a priceless treasure. If you take it back to the mortal world and plant it in fertile soil, after three days it will grant you one wish. The secret is to think of what you need in your heart and smell the Michelia alba with your nose." After saying this, the old woman disappeared.
Li Gou'er had met an immortal and was overjoyed. He bent down and had just pulled up that Michelia alba when he heard a burst of music. The fairyland disappeared, and he was standing in his own courtyard, holding that Michelia alba with its delightful fragrance.
He followed the immortal's instructions and planted this hosta in the fertile soil of the courtyard. Three days later, this magical immortal herb came to life. The beautiful Michelia alba gave off a delicate fragrance, filling the courtyard with scent. Li Gou'er thought excitedly: My greatest wish is to have a wife. But what kind of appearance should she have? A beautiful one would be beyond his match, and an ugly one would be unpleasant to look at. Oh, just wish for an average-looking one, a bit bigger in build, as long as she has the strength to work.
Having made up his mind, he squatted beside the Michelia alba, thinking of a big, strong woman in his heart, and smelled the Michelia alba with his nose. Suddenly, the Michelia alba flashed and turned into a white mist. The mist dispersed, and indeed a woman appeared. This woman was tall and large-framed, with broad shoulders and a round waist, appearing very sturdy. She smiled and said to him: "My name is Michelia alba, and I am willing to spend my life with you, my husband."
Li Gou'er was so happy he could not close his mouth. Holding her hand, he said: "Gou'er may be a bit ugly, but he is diligent. He may be a bit poor, but he knows how to cherish his wife."...
After that, Li Gou'er truly cherished his wife. At home, he rushed to do the work every day, and when going out to pick up dog dung, he worked harder than before. His wife's appearance was not much to speak of, but her heart was very kind, and she was very considerate of him. She said picking up dog dung was dirty and tiring and no longer let him do that trade. Li Gou'er said if he didn't pick up dog dung, he had no way to make a living. His wife laughed and said it was no problem. She pointed her hand into the air, and shining silver appeared on the table, piled into a small mountain. Li Gou'er had never seen so much silver and danced with joy.
Michelia alba was very capable. She hired people to tear down the broken house and built a new one. She had Gou'er take off his ragged clothes and change into a handsome mandarin jacket. She said Gou'er was weak, so every day she cooked many delicacies from land and sea to nourish him.
Under his wife's careful care, Li Gou'er soon became strong, and he also became younger and more handsome. He began to feel a bit smug, and his eyes began to steal glances at the young women in the village. Somehow, the more he looked at the young women in the village, the more beautiful he found them, and the uglier his own wife seemed. He regretted it, thinking: I should have wished for the most beautiful woman. He felt wronged and gradually began to look down on his wife.
Li Gou'er grew fat and lazy. He didn't want to do the housework and spent all day idling around, often going to gambling houses and brothels, becoming corrupt and decadent, spending money like water.
When Michelia alba saw that he had changed his heart, she was very sad. She advised him to be a proper person. He admitted it with his mouth, but could not take in a single word in his heart. He thought that since his wife was an immortal, the money would never run out, and nothing could stump him, Li Gou'er. He still went his own way, gambling and visiting prostitutes all day, doing everything.
Locally, there was no one who did not know about Li Gou'er's family circumstances. Seeing him suddenly become as rich as the God of Wealth, everyone felt it was strange and suspected that his money came from unknown sources. Someone wrote a petition and submitted it to the Emei County government office to file a lawsuit against him.
The county magistrate of Emei County was a corrupt official surnamed Zhu, named Can, who judged cases by recognizing money rather than reason. Seeing that the person being accused was a poor bachelor who spent money like water, he also felt it was strange, so he sent bailiffs to Li Gou'er's village to investigate the case. Upon investigation, it was discovered that there was a woman of unknown origin in Li Gou'er's household. Zhu Can devised a plan, summoned Li Gou'er to the government office, and hosted a banquet for him, asking him to tell the origin of his wife. Li Gou'er had never seen the county magistrate before. Now, being invited to a banquet and asked to tell the origin of his wife, he was overwhelmed by the favor and quickly told the whole story of how he went into the mountains to gather orchids, how he obtained the white orchid, and how the white orchid turned into a fairy wife. Upon hearing this, Zhu Can was both jealous and pleasantly surprised. His eyeballs rolled, and he said: "Li Gou'er, the gambling house is not as good as the officialdom, and a beauty is not as good as the black gauze cap. How about exchanging your big-boned wife for my black gauze cap?"
"Exchange wives" - Li Gou'er hesitated, but then he thought: "Being an official brings prestige, can bring honor to one's ancestors, and with power and influence, one can do whatever one wants, without worrying about silver or women." So he nodded and agreed.
Seeing that Li Gou'er had agreed, Zhu Can immediately wrote out an exchange contract and had him press his fingerprint on it.
The next day, Li Gou'er brought Zhu Can back home. He proudly told his wife about using her to exchange for the black gauze cap. When Bai Lanhua saw that her husband had actually done such a wicked thing, she trembled with anger, but she still gently advised him to take back the contract from the county magistrate and not forget the days when he was a bachelor. Li Gou'er, seeing that she had exposed his past, was both ashamed and angry, and scolded her for being an ugly woman who wanted to cling to him for a living.
Seeing that he was ungrateful and beyond redemption, Bai Lanhua glared at the county magistrate with hatred, turned to Li Gou'er and said: "Gou'er, don't regret it!" With that, she walked straight into the bridal sedan chair.
Seeing that the deal was done, Li Gou'er quickly took Zhu Can's black gauze cap and put it on his head. Seeing Bai Lanhua enter the sedan chair, Zhu Can quickly ordered the chair bearers to return to the government office. At this moment, Li Gou'er suddenly discovered that the black gauze cap on his head was made of paper. He was furious at being cheated and wanted to rush out to stop the sedan chair. Zhu Can was enraged and ordered the bailiffs to swarm forward and give Li Gou'er a good beating. Then they set fire to his beautiful new house and had the chair bearers carry Bai Lanhua away.
Zhu Can and his group had just carried the bridal sedan chair to a mountain hollow when the sedan chair suddenly became extremely heavy, and the bearers had to stop and rest. Seeing this, Zhu Can was furious and did not believe the sedan chair could become heavier, so he cursed and walked toward the sedan chair. Just as he was about to lift the sedan curtain to see what was going on, the curtain suddenly shook violently, and a giant python burst out from inside, frightening him out of his wits and killing him on the spot. Strangely enough, the python did not harm anyone else; it swayed its head and slowly slithered toward Mount Emei. Meanwhile, Li Gou'er came to his senses, saw that his house had been burned down, and that he had become a bachelor again, so he had no choice but to carry his dog-dung basket again and go back to his old trade.
Thus it is: The beauty of flowers is meant to spread beautiful kindness throughout the world; the fragrance of flowers is meant to spread fragrant love throughout society; the purity of flowers is meant to offer pure sincerity to the ten directions; the colors of flowers are meant to connect with colorful good hearts. People are not as good as flowers, and even flowers cannot help it.
White orchid image
Chinese peony Paeonia lactiflora Chinese peony illustrated guide: how to grow Chinese peony / how to propagate Chinese peony
Chinese peony profileChinese peony Paeonia lactiflora
Chinese peony cultivation methods and precautions, introduction to Chinese peony
Chinese peony, also known by the aliases Jiangli and Licao, is a famous herbaceous flower of the Paeoniaceae family, genus Paeonia. Its cultivation history in China exceeds 4900 years, making it the earliest cultivated flower in China. Chinese peony can be divided into many varieties such as herbaceous peony, beautiful peony, and many-flowered peony. The petals of Chinese peony are obovate, and the floral disc is shallowly cup-shaped. Its roots made into traditional Chinese medicine have antispasmodic and analgesic medicinal value. It ranks first among herbaceous flowers, and is praised by people as the "Flower Fairy" and "Flower Minister," and is listed as one of the "Six Famous Flowers." It is also called the "May Flower God." Because it has been regarded as the flower of love since ancient times, it is now honored as the representative flower of the Qixi Festival. In addition, Chinese peony is an important flower in Dream of the Red Chamber; Shi Xiangyun drunkenly sleeping on a peony cushion is one of the most beautiful scenes in Dream of the Red Chamber.
The origin of the name Chinese peony (sháo yào), according to the Materia Medica: "Chinese peony is like chicory, a beautiful appearance. This herb's flowers are graceful, hence the name." Chinese peony has many aliases. In China's splendid garden of a hundred flowers, the ancients promoted Chinese peony as the "Flower Minister" (prime minister among flowers), and because Chinese peony is herbaceous, it is also called herbaceous peony (Cui Bao, Ancient and Modern Notes). Its flowers are large and colorful, charming and graceful, so it is named "Jiaorong" and "Yurong" (Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians). In ancient times, people gave Chinese peony flowers when parting to express reluctance to part, so it is also named "Jiangli" and "Licao" (Ancient and Modern Notes). Tang and Song literati called Chinese peony "Llanwei Spring"; lanwei means the last cup, and Chinese peony blooms in late spring, meaning the last cup of fine wine of spring. Chinese peony is a herbaceous flower without a hard woody stem, like a slender willow swaying in the wind, a delicate boneless maiden, hence it is called "Boneless Flower" (Zheng Qian's Hu Materia Medica). Because its flowers are fragrant, it has the names "Luanyi" (also called "Black Qianyi"), "Liuyi" (Guangya Shuzheng), and "Xinyi" (Wang Yi's annotation of Chu Ci, Nine Songs). In addition, ancient names include "Jiecang," "Baizhu," "Lishi," "Ting" (Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians), and others. Abroad, Chinese peony is also highly favored and has the laudatory title "Queen of Flowers." Representative meaning: Chinese peony has been China's flower of love since ancient times, and is now also honored as the representative flower of the Qixi Festival. The Western rose has thorns, while China's love flower, the Chinese peony, is not only beautiful but can also heal; it reflects the Chinese nation's character and virtues, like jade and like Chinese peony: diligent, practical, as light as peony fragrance, as gentle and beautiful as jade. Pink Chinese peonies are like rosy clouds on the horizon, and also like shy maidens in love; romance and reserve are the Chinese peony blushing the face of spring. The customs of the Shangsi Festival and the love song "give her a peony" have been passed down from the singing of the Book of Songs all the way to the Han, Tang, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In ancient China, the Chinese peony was always the melody of love, a romantic mountain song.
It is "charming and touching," "hard to part." In ancient times, when men and women interacted, they gave Chinese peonies to each other to express a pledge of love or reluctance to part; Chinese peony is also called "Jiangli Grass."
Morphological characteristics of Chinese peony: roots
The root consists of 3 parts: root crown, tuberous roots, and fibrous roots. The root crown head (different from "rhizome"; the root crown is a root, while a rhizome is a stem) is the uppermost part of the root, darker in color, and bears buds; tuberous roots grow from below the root crown, are fleshy, thick and strong, spindle-shaped or long cylindrical, 0.6-3.5 cm thick, with a light yellowish-brown or grayish-purple exterior and white interior, rich in nutrients. Tuberous roots generally do not directly produce buds, but after breaking can sprout smaller new buds; therefore, in autumn, collected broken roots of more than 5 cm can also be used for propagation; fibrous roots mainly grow from the tuberous roots, are the main organs for absorbing water and nutrients, and can gradually evolve into tuberous roots. According to differences in appearance and shape, Chinese peony roots can generally be divided into three types: thick-root type, sloping-root type, and even-root type. In the thick-root type, the roots are relatively sparse, thick, and straight-extending; in the sloping-root type, the roots extend in all directions, with uneven thickness; in the even-root type, the root strips are suitably sparse or dense, and even in thickness, etc. The roots can be used as medicine.
Buds
Clustered on the root crown, fleshy, overwintering underground in winter, sprouting and emerging from the soil in early spring as temperatures rise. When first formed, they are water-red to light purplish-red, and there are also yellow ones. After emerging from the ground, the color deepens, generally becoming dark purplish-red, with scales on the outside for protection. The buds of Chinese peony are mixed buds, developing both reproductive organs - flowers - and vegetative organs - stems and leaves. Before sprouting, the buds are 2.5-4 cm long. After the buds emerge from the ground, their color and shape also vary by variety, with colors ranging from dark purplish-red to yellowish-brown, and bud shapes can be divided into 3 types: short-round type, bamboo-shoot type, and brush-tip type. In the short-round type, the bud body is relatively short, with a bluntly rounded tip; in the bamboo-shoot type, the bud body is relatively long, with an acute tip, shaped like a bamboo shoot; in the brush-tip type, the bud body is relatively long, with a gradually pointed tip, shaped like the tip of a writing brush. The sprouting of Chinese peony is one of the most spectacular scenes, because it embodies the germination and vitality of life, and therefore has high ornamental value.
Stems
Clustered from the root, about 50-110 cm tall, herbaceous; the base of the stem is cylindrical, the upper part is mostly angular, some twisted, some straight-extending, and the sun-facing parts are mostly purplish-red.
Leaves
The lower leaves are bipinnately trifoliolate compound leaves, that is, the end of the leaf consists of 3 leaflets forming one cluster, with one cluster on each side as well. Each cluster on the two sides is usually composed of 4 leaflets. In the middle compound leaves, the 3 leaflets at the end remain unchanged, while the number of leaflets on both sides begins to decrease, gradually from the original 4 to 3, 2, or 1, or even disappearing. When they disappear, only 3 leaflets remain at the end, and this is called a tripinnate compound leaf. The upper leaves are simple leaves. Leaves are 20-24 cm long; leaflets are elliptical, narrowly ovate, needle-shaped, etc., with long and pointed leaf tips, entire margins with slight waves, and dense white bony fine teeth along the leaf margins. The leaf surface may be yellowish-green, green, or dark green, and the leaf underside is mostly powdery green, hairy or hairless. The leaves of Chinese peony also have ornamental value. In "red lanterns shining, green coiled dragons," "green coiled dragons" is praise for the leaves, so it can also be used as a foliage plant.
Flower buds
Shapes include round peach, flat round peach, flat round peach, pointed round peach, long round peach, pointed peach, crooked pointed peach, long pointed peach, flat peach, and several others. The outer whorl has 5 sepals, leaf-like lanceolate, green, gradually decreasing from bottom to top; the inner sepals are 3 (sometimes increasing to 7), green or yellow-green, sometimes with yellow-white stripes or purplish-red stripes, obovate, broadly ovate, circular, elliptical, or irregular.
Flowers
Generally borne singly at the top of the stem or near the top in leaf axils, though some rare varieties even produce 2 or 3 flowers together. The original species has white flowers, 8-11 cm in diameter, with 5-13 petals, obovate, numerous stamens, yellow filaments, a shallow cup-shaped floral disc wrapping the base of the carpels, with a bluntly rounded tip, and 3-5 carpels, hairless or hairy, with a beak at the tip; horticultural varieties are rich in flower color, including white, pink, red, purple, yellow, green, black, and bicolor, etc., with flower diameters of 10-30 cm, and petals can reach up to a hundred, with some varieties even having 880 petals, and flower forms varying greatly. Flowering period is May-June.
Fruit
Follicles, spindle-shaped, elliptical, bottle-shaped, etc., smooth, or with fine down, with a small pointed tip. 2-8 follicles, free from one another, composed of a single carpel, ovary 1-loculed, containing 5-7 seeds.
Seeds
Black or blackish-brown, seeds large, round, oblong, or pointed-round.
Phenological periods
During the course of a year, the periods in which the various organs of Chinese peony undergo corresponding changes under the constraints of climatic conditions are called phenological periods. For example, in the Beijing area, Chinese peony sprouts and emerges from the soil from late March to early April. The buds formed at the underground root crown in June-July of the previous year, after growth and flower bud differentiation, sprout and emerge after temperatures rise in spring. The buds are mostly beautiful purplish-red, with a few varieties being delicate yellow-green, and have high ornamental value. After more than 20 days of rapid growth, the new stems can reach about 2/3 of the height of mature plants, the lower compound leaves flatten and spread, and the tender leaves are also purplish-red or yellow-green; after the lower leaves flatten and spread, growth is again rapid, and flower buds appear at the stem tips in early April; after budding, as the stems and leaves fill out and the flower buds develop, the flowers begin to open in early to mid-May; the flowering period ends in early June. A single flower remains open for 5-7 days, with single-petaled varieties opening for a shorter time and double-petaled varieties for longer. The population flowering period (from the blooming of early-flowering varieties to the fading of late-flowering varieties) is about 25 days; after the flowers fade, mixed buds differentiate and develop again at the underground root crown; seeds mature in August, the aboveground parts die from late October to early November, and the mixed buds borne on the root crown overwinter in the soil, then sprout and grow again the following spring. This yearly periodic change process mainly has the following rules: first, sequentiality. Each phenological period can proceed only after the previous phenological period has been completed, and at the same time it lays the foundation for the next phenological period; second, all changes in phenological periods arise under the combined action of certain external conditions, among which temperature is often the leading influencing factor; third, because phenological periods change with the climatic changes of the four seasons, phenological changes have an annual periodicity; fourth, phenological periods have, under certain conditions, repeatability, etc.
Main factors affecting flowering phenology
(1) Temperature: In the same region, the timing of Chinese peony flowering is closely related to spring temperature changes. Temperature can affect the entire flowering process. With a warm spring versus a cold spring, the flowering period can differ by 4-5 days or even 10-20 days.
(2) Moisture and rainfall: Moisture and rainfall have little effect on the flowering period. Sufficient irrigation before flowering or encountering rainfall helps Chinese peony bloom, with larger flowers and more brilliant colors; but if there is relatively heavy rainfall, the flowers are damaged and wither early. If soil moisture content is low before flowering, the flowers become smaller, the colors are less brilliant, and the flowering period is shortened.
(3) Altitude: Altitude can affect changes in temperature, light, and humidity, thereby affecting the flowering period. Under normal circumstances, as altitude increases, the flowering period is delayed. For example, the Chinese peony flowering period in Luoyang ends on May 14, while on Baiyun Mountain in nearby Man County, Chinese peonies have just begun to show color. When the Chinese peony flowering period in Pengzhou City, Sichuan, ends, flowers on nearby Danjing Mountain are just beginning to open. Different altitude changes in cultivation sites can be used to prolong the viewing period.
(4) Light: Light often accompanies temperature and has a major impact on plant growth, development, and flowering period. Insufficient light before flowering can affect flower color, making it less vivid; strong light during the flowering period, accompanied by rising temperatures, can shorten the flowering period or scorch the flowers. Therefore, setting up a sunshade during the flowering period can prolong the flowering period of Chinese peony.
Growth and development characteristics
1、Life cycle and annual cycle
Chinese peony is a perennial herbaceous plant with persistent roots. From seed germination to death, throughout its life activities, it undergoes life processes such as growth, flowering, fruiting, aging, and death. This entire process is called the life cycle, also called the large development cycle. For seedling plants, the life cycle can be divided into 3 developmental stages. Seedlings bloom in about 4 years; before flowering is the juvenile stage. In the first year after sowing and emergence, the plant is 3-4 cm tall, grows 1-2 leaves, and the roots are 8-10 cm long, with the upper part of the root relatively thick, about 0.4-0.5 cm in diameter; in the second spring, the plant height reaches 7-8 cm, and better-growing plants can reach 15-29 cm, with a plant spread of about 30 cm; in the third spring, a small number of plants already bloom, with plant height 15-60 cm, only one main root well developed; plant spread 30-40 cm; in the fourth year all plants can bloom. After entering the adult stage, growth is vigorous and flowering is abundant, making it the best ornamental period. As long as the environment is suitable, the adult stage can last twenty to thirty years, then enter the aging stage, until death. Division plants directly enter the adult stage, and gradually age after twenty to thirty years.
The annual cycle, also called the small development cycle, refers to the staged developmental changes produced by Chinese peony plants during the year as climatic rhythms change. It is mainly manifested as alternating changes between the growth period and the dormancy period. Among these, the vernalization stage of the dormancy period and the photoperiod stage of the growth period are the most critical. The vernalization stage of Chinese peony requires a low temperature of 0°C and about 40 days to complete, after which the mixed buds can begin to sprout and grow. Chinese peony is a long-day plant; flower buds must develop and bloom under long-day conditions. After the mixed buds sprout, if the light duration is insufficient, or under short-day conditions, they usually only grow leaves and do not bloom, or bloom abnormally.
2、Growth and development characteristics
(1) Flower bud structure and life cycle: The buds of Chinese peony are mixed buds and belong to the underground bud type. After sprouting and extending above ground, they both produce stems and leaves and unfold buds to flower. The mixed bud is a complex of multiple primordia, composed of the apical growing point, bud scales, axillary bud primordia in the axils of the bud scales, leaf primordia, axillary bud primordia in the axils of the leaf primordia, bract primordia, sepal primordia, petal primordia, stamen primordia, pistil primordia, etc. This bud is called the mother-generation bud, and the axillary bud primordia in the axils of the bud scales and leaf primordia are the original bodies of the daughter-generation buds. The axillary bud primordia in the axils of the leaf primordia and their axillary bud primordia do not produce bud scales and are naked buds; while the axillary bud primordia in the axils of the scales have bud scales, forming scaly buds. In spring, the scaly buds sprout, and the daughter-generation naked buds extend above ground as the internodes of the mother-generation mixed bud elongate, forming flower branches or branches on the main stem; their daughter-generation scaly buds do not emerge above ground. After the aboveground parts wither in autumn, the daughter-generation scaly bud located at the uppermost end of the Chinese peony root crown becomes the "terminal bud." In fact, Chinese peony has only one terminal bud, which is the terminal bud of the seedling after seed germination. The next year, this daughter-generation scaly bud sprouts from the soil, extends branches, unfolds leaves, and blooms. Therefore, the life cycle of naked buds is 2 years, while the life cycle of scaly buds is 3 years.
(2) Flower bud differentiation: After Chinese peony flowers, the axillary buds of its underground scaly buds appear around August, and their apical growing points gradually produce bud scale primordia from outside to inside. By May of the following year, a growing point covered by 4 bud scales has formed, and by late June the differentiation of bud scales is completed. Then, the apical growing point begins to produce leaf primordia. Leaf primordia have multiple finger-like protrusions, while bud scale primordia have only 1-3. Leaf primordium differentiation is completed from early August to early September.
Ecological habits of Chinese peony
1.Temperature
Chinese peony is a typical temperate plant, fond of warmth and tolerant of cold, with a relatively broad ecological adaptability. In northern China it can be cultivated in the open field and has strong cold resistance. In the Nenjiang County area of northern Heilongjiang Province, where the annual growth period is only 120 days and the extreme minimum temperature is -46.5°C, it can still grow and bloom normally and overwinter in the open field. In summer it prefers a cool climate, but it is also quite heat-tolerant; for example, in Bozhou, Anhui Province, where the extreme maximum summer temperature reaches 42.1°C, it can also safely pass the summer.
2.Light
Only with sufficient light during the growth period can Chinese peony grow luxuriantly and have brilliant flower colors; however, it can also grow and develop normally under light shade, and during the flowering period moderate shading can appropriately lower temperature and increase humidity, protecting it from scorching by strong sunlight and thereby prolonging the ornamental period. But if shaded too much, it will cause leggy growth, weak growth, and failure to bloom or sparse blooming.
Chinese peony is a long-day plant. It differentiates flower buds in the short-day seasons of autumn and winter, and blooms under long-day conditions in spring. Both flower bud development and flowering must proceed under long-day conditions. If the photoperiod is too short (8-9 hours), it will lead to delayed flower bud development, accelerated leaf growth, poor flowering, or even failure to bloom.
3.Soil
Chinese peony is a deep-rooted plant, so it requires deep soil layers, and it also has thick, strong fleshy roots, making it suitable for loose, well-drained sandy loam. It grows poorly in clay and sandy soil. High soil moisture content and poor drainage easily cause root rot. Neutral or slightly acidic soil is suitable; saline-alkaline land is not suitable for planting; fertile soil gives better growth, but attention should be paid that the nitrogen content must not be too high, to prevent leggy branches and leaves. During the growth period, appropriate additional application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can promote robust growth of branches and leaves and beautiful flowering. Chinese peony avoids continuous cropping. In traditional concentrated Chinese peony production areas, continuous planting of Chinese peony in the same plot for many years is a very common phenomenon and has already caused serious losses, not only with severe pests and diseases, but also with declines in yield and quality, and even large-scale death. Therefore, a scientific and reasonable crop rotation system must be implemented.
4.Moisture
Chinese peony prefers high, open terrain and a relatively dry environment, and does not need frequent irrigation. Because Chinese peony has fleshy roots, it is especially intolerant of waterlogging. Water accumulation for 6-10 hours often leads to root rot. Low-lying and humid areas are not suitable as Chinese peony production areas in China. Every flood is almost destructive to Chinese peony; only Chinese peonies in high, open places that were not submerged remained.
Cultivation techniques for Chinese peony
Chinese peony cultivation includes ornamental cultivation, medicinal cultivation, soilless cultivation, forcing and retarding cultivation, cut flower cultivation, etc., described below.
1.Land requirements
The planting site should be chosen in a high, dry area with good drainage, requiring deep, loose, fertile sandy loam. When planting in sections with relatively heavy salinity and alkalinity, soil replacement is needed; when planting in lower-lying areas, raised platforms should be built, and there should be a sufficient clean irrigation water source. Chinese peony avoids continuous cropping. Field cultivation generally rotates once every 3-4 years, otherwise growth weakens and pest and disease damage becomes severe. When land limitations prevent timely rotation, deep plowing should be carried out 1-2 months before planting. The depth is 60-100 cm. For every 666.7 sq m, 1500-2000 kg of decomposed manure or 200-250 kg of cake fertilizer can be applied. Remember that undecomposed raw fertilizer must not be applied.
2.Suitable planting time
Whether for seedling propagation or division propagation, planting in Heze is from late August (End of Heat) to late September (Autumn Equinox), and in Yangzhou from late September (Autumn Equinox) to early November (Beginning of Winter). It is generally combined with division propagation.
3.Planting spacing
For ornamental garden cultivation, the plant and row spacing can be 1 m x 1 m, and the planting points can be arranged in a "pinwheel" pattern. This planting method can use the land evenly and reasonably and help the plants grow symmetrically, but field operations are sometimes inconvenient. For the convenience of field management and observation records, the "square" arrangement with horizontal and vertical rows is often used. For the specifications of the planting holes, the depth is about 35 cm, and the upper opening diameter is 18 cm. When digging the pit, it should be narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. In ornamental cultivation and propagation, thick roots are not removed. In medicinal cultivation, rooted seedlings after root removal are used (the method used in Dongyang, Zhejiang), with holes about 25 cm. If the root-removed peony head is used directly for planting, the depth can be even shallower.
4.Planting method
Apply decomposed manure or cake fertilizer at the bottom of the hole. Mix evenly with the subsoil. Before planting, treat the Chinese peony seedlings with a mixture of 700 times thiophanate-methyl solution plus 1000 times isofenphos-methyl solution to prevent pest and disease damage. Hold the Chinese peony seedling by hand, spread the roots out in the hole, and when filling the soil to half the pit, shake and lift the seedling so that the root system combines tightly with the soil. The lifting height of the seedling should be based on the buds being level with the ground surface; after watering, the planting pit sinks, which is exactly the suitable planting depth. If planted too deep, the buds are not easy to sprout from the soil, and even if they emerge, growth and development are not vigorous; if planted too shallow, the root crown is exposed above the ground and is easily killed by sunlight exposure in summer. Finally, fill the soil until the hole is full, tamp it firm, and pile about 10 cm of soil on top to prevent cold and preserve soil moisture, and also as a marker and protection. Depending on soil moisture conditions, if the soil is moist, it may not need watering after planting; generally it should be watered immediately after planting.
5.Field management
(1) Remove soil and level the bed: The soil mound piled during planting in the previous autumn must be promptly removed and leveled before the young buds of Chinese peony emerge, to level the bed surface and facilitate watering and field management. If done too late, removing the soil will damage the young buds; if the soil is not removed, the base of the young buds will be weakened, affecting growth.
(2) Cultivation and weeding: Throughout the growing season, cultivation and weeding should be done frequently. Deep cultivation should be carried out before the leaf canopy completely covers the ground and around the flowering period; shallow cultivation should be carried out after flowering. Under normal circumstances, cultivation and weeding should be done about 10 times per year.
(3) Fertilization: Chinese peony likes fertilizer, and there is seldom harm from over-fertilization. Especially when the flower buds show color and when buds are forming, the demand for nutrients is even more urgent. In addition to applying base fertilizer at planting, according to the fertilizer requirements of Chinese peony at different developmental stages, topdressing can be applied 3 times per year. In spring, after the seedlings emerge and unfold leaves, "flower fertilizer" can be applied, with the purpose of promoting robust plant growth and supplementing large amounts of nutrients for flower bud development and flowering. To supplement fertilizer in time, quick-acting fertilizer is often used, and attention should be paid to appropriately increasing the proportion of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. After flowering, large amounts of nutrients in the plant are consumed, and flower bud differentiation and bud development must still proceed, so "bud fertilizer" can be applied. Whether sufficient nutrients are supplied in time at this time directly affects the quality of flowering and growth the following year. Quick-acting fertilizer is still applied. Before winter, together with winter soil mounding, "winter fertilizer" can be applied, mainly long-acting fertilizer, mostly fully decomposed compost, barnyard manure, or decomposed cake fertilizer and compound fertilizer. There are 3 methods of topdressing: hole application, furrow application, and broadcast application. For one- and two-year-old seedlings, because the root system is not well developed, hole application between plants or furrow application between rows is often used, with the depth of holes and furrows about 15 cm. Fertilizer is applied into them and covered with soil. For plants more than three years old, broadcast application is mostly used; after spreading the fertilizer evenly, combined with cultivation and weeding, deep hoeing and loosening the soil are done to mix it evenly with the soil. For one- and two-year-old seedlings, for every 666.7 sq m, 150-200 kg of cake fertilizer or sesame paste residue (the paste liquid after making sesame paste) can be applied as topdressing, or 1500 kg of manure. For plants more than three years old, for every 666.7 sq m, 200-250 kg of cake fertilizer or sesame paste residue can be used, or 2000-2500 kg of manure.
(4) Watering: Chinese peony has a well-developed root system that penetrates deep into the soil and can absorb water from deep soil layers; the roots are fleshy and intolerant of waterlogging, so it does not need frequent watering like open-field herbaceous flowers, but excessive dryness is also unfavorable for growth, resulting in small and sparse flowers and less vivid colors. It can be seen that moderate moisture is an ecological condition necessary for the normal growth of Chinese peony. Therefore, during drought it still needs timely watering, especially before and after flowering and before winter soil mounding, sufficient irrigation must be ensured. During heavy rain, special attention must be paid to timely drainage to avoid damage to the root system.
(5) Removing side buds: In addition to the main bud borne at the top of the stem, Chinese peony has 3-4 side buds in the upper leaf axils of the stem. To concentrate nutrients and make the terminal bud flower larger, side buds are removed shortly after the flower buds appear. To prevent damage to the terminal bud, 1 side bud can be retained first, and after the terminal bud swells and normal development is no longer a problem, the reserved side bud is then removed. Therefore, flower farmers have the saying, "Chinese peony gets its head trimmed (side buds removed), tree peony gets its feet trimmed (foot buds removed)." Cleverly using the difference in flowering time between main and side buds can appropriately prolong the ornamental period of Chinese peony. In the same variety (a variety whose side buds can bloom normally), select some plants, remove the main bud, and keep 1 side bud to bloom; then the flowering period can be delayed by several days.
(6) Staking: Chinese peony flower stalks are relatively soft. Except for a few short and sturdy plant types, and except for varieties with fewer petals such as single-petal type, lotus type, and golden-stamen type, most varieties have nodding flower heads when in bloom, or even the entire plant leans over. To maintain a good ornamental effect, after the flower buds show color, supports should be set up to make the flower stalks extend straight, the flower heads stand upright, and the flower posture graceful. Two staking forms are commonly used: first, the single-stake type, mostly used for varieties with especially large flowers and relatively soft stems. When tying, insert a thin bamboo into the soil at the back of the flower stem, then use plastic rope or hemp rope in a "8" shape to tie the upper part of the flower stem at 6-8 cm from the flower head to the support. Do not tie it tightly at the top of the flower stem, to avoid making the flower head stiff and unattractive. Second, the bamboo-ring type, used for general varieties, enclosing the loose plant clump with a bamboo ring. At this time, the enclosed flower stems support each other and stand upright. According to the size of the plant clump, the size of the bamboo ring can be adjusted. Generally, two layers of bamboo rings are used, smaller at the lower layer and larger at the upper layer. Each bamboo ring is fixed by tying with 3 or 4 small bamboo poles inserted into the soil. The above two forms can be used in combination according to circumstances.
(7) Setting up sunshade and rainproof sheds: The flowering period of Chinese peony coincides with the hot and rainy season. During the flowering period, sunshade and rainproof sheds can be set up to block strong light, reduce humidity, and protect from rain invasion, thereby improving the ornamental effect and prolonging the ornamental period. The shed height is 2.5 m, covered with shade netting and plastic film. Setting up sheds can prolong the flowering period by 8-10 days.
(8) Cutting off faded flowers: After flowering, except for plants retained for seed, promptly cut off faded flowers to avoid wasting nutrients.
(9) Cutting off aboveground parts, watering frozen water, and mounding soil for overwintering: After late October, the aboveground stems and leaves gradually turn yellow and dry up. At this time, cut off dead leaves, sweep up dead leaves, and concentrate them for deep burial to avoid repeated spread and harm from pests and diseases. Then, before the soil freezes in winter, water thoroughly, fertilize, and pile soil to preserve moisture and protect against cold for overwintering.
Medicinal cultivation
Chinese peony is often used for medicinal cultivation, and its roots are a traditional Chinese medicinal material. If the root bark is scraped off, it is called "white peony"; some wild Paeonia species, such as P. vitchii and P. obovata, generally have the root bark not scraped off when used medicinally and are called "red peony." Both are used as medicine, but their medicinal effects differ. Medicinal cultivation is similar to ornamental cultivation, but also has its differences. Its planting spacing is 50 cm x 40 cm or 50 cm x 35 cm, that is, 3000-3500 plants per 666.7 sq m. It can be planted in holes or furrows. The planting stock is divided plants or three-year-old seedling plants. If divided plants are used, the new plant should not carry too many buds; those with 1-3 buds and 2 roots can be used; if using those with 1 bud and 1 root, 2 plants can be planted per hole.
If too many buds are carried, the aboveground branches and leaves will grow leggy and affect root growth. The purpose of medicinal cultivation is to grow the roots well, so that the roots develop quickly and grow plump. When the plant shows buds, remove all of them so that they do not develop and bloom, concentrating nutrients on root growth. Bud removal is best done on sunny days when there is no dew. After bud removal, spray 1 time with equal-strength Bordeaux mixture to reduce infection by pathogens.
After removing the peony roots from the Chinese peony plant, remove the fibrous roots, grade according to thickness, boil and stir, then take out the roots and observe; if the water traces dry completely in less than 1 minute, this is the suitable time (another account says the suitable time is when no water droplets adhere to the root epidermis after taking out the roots). Immediately take them out and soak in cold water for about more than half an hour, then use a glass piece, small knife, etc. to scrape off the root bark, wash clean, and air-dry. It is best not to expose them to the blazing sun, to prevent the outer skin from turning reddish-brown. They should be dried for about half a month; thick roots require more time, while thin ones require less. During the root-drying process, after drying for a few days, gather them together and let them sweat for one or two days to make them regain moisture, then dry them again, until the roots break open showing powdery white and sound when tapped, then they can be graded, packaged, and sold. They are usually divided into 3 grades according to root diameter: grade one, root diameter 4 cm or more; grade two, 2-4 cm; grade three, less than 2 cm.
All require smooth outer skin, white with a pink tinge, and even thickness. Generally, 1 kg of fresh roots can yield 0.5 kg of dried white peony. After 3 years of continuous cultivation, each 666.7 sq m yields about 900 kg of fresh roots, producing 450 kg of white peony (Heze). In Dongyang, Zhejiang, white peony is made by first removing the root bark and then boiling, a method with local characteristics, but the medicinal effect is the same. Soilless cultivation: Soilless cultivation, also called water culture, is a technique in which nutrient solutions are prepared according to the nutrient elements necessary for plant growth and development and used to cultivate plants.
For the export of potted flowers, soilless cultivation must be used in the international flower market to prevent the spread of pests and diseases. Because it saves water and fertilizer, is clean and hygienic, has few pests and diseases, good product quality, and saves labor in management, its application is becoming increasingly widespread.
1. Variety selection: Most Chinese peony varieties perform well under nutrient solution cultivation and are superior to ordinary soil cultivation.
Varieties suitable for soilless cultivation include: "Purple Butterfly Offers Gold," "Black Dragon Holds Prosperity," "Cinnabar Plate," "Yang Fei Emerges from Bath," and "Inkstone Pool Ripples," etc.
2. Substrate preparation: Chinese peony has a fleshy root system, and the requirements for the substrate are good aeration, fertilizer retention, and water retention. Vermiculite, perlite, ceramsite, and bark can be used as substrates. Using mixed substrates gives better results. For example, mix vermiculite, perlite, and bark in a 1:1:1 ratio; mix vermiculite, perlite, and ceramsite in a 1:1:1 ratio; or mix vermiculite and perlite in a 1:1 ratio, etc. In southern China, some local substrates can be added, such as carbonized rice husks.
3. Cultivation forms: There are two forms, pot cultivation and trough cultivation. For pot cultivation, choose flower pots of corresponding diameter according to the size of the Chinese peony plant. Clay pots can be used and have good air permeability, which is good for plant growth, but they are heavy and inconvenient for management and use; plastic pots are commonly used, are attractive in appearance, light in weight, and convenient for use and management, but have poor air permeability. When planting, lay a layer of ceramsite at the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage, then plant the Chinese peony seedling, fill in the mixed substrate, and add a layer of ceramsite on the surface to prevent the substrate from splashing out during watering. For trough cultivation, cement or bricks can be used to build rectangular cultivation troughs. The long axis of the trough surface should have a certain drainage slope, with a width of about 80-120 cm, a length of 200-300 cm, and a depth of 42 cm. Line the trough with plastic film, fill in 40 cm of cultivation substrate, and plant seedlings at a spacing of 40 cm x 40 cm, with 2-3 rows possible. The planting time is the same as field planting.
4. Nutrient solution preparation: Wang Yueying and others of Beijing Forestry University, through analysis of the nutritional status of tree peony cultivation soil and determination of the nutrient content of tree peony at different growth stages, prepared nutrient solution formulas suitable for 3 different growth stages: first, used from summer to before winter, with the function of promoting buds and protecting roots; second, used before flowering, with relatively high phosphorus, promoting beautiful and large flowers; third, used after flowering, playing a role in comprehensive fertilizer supplementation. This has high reference value for the preparation of nutrient solutions for soilless cultivation of Chinese peony. The mineral element content of the nutrient solution should be between 0.1% and 0.4%.
5.Irrigation system：
(1) Gravity irrigation facilities: commonly used in general production cultivation. The setup is relatively simple, with low investment, convenient management, and good use results. The cultivation trough width is 200 cm, and 4 drip irrigation belts can be installed. The size of the nutrient solution storage tank depends on the area of the cultivation trough. Generally, the storage tank being 150-200 cm higher than the cultivation trough surface is sufficient. By means of the gravity generated by the liquid's height difference, the nutrient solution is delivered to the plant roots through drip irrigation pipes.
(2) Power irrigation facilities: mostly used for large-area soilless cultivation. The transport of the nutrient solution in the above facilities is changed from gravity transport to power transport. An electric pump is added as the transport power.
(3) Micro-tube sprinkler irrigation facilities: use plastic pipes laid on the bed surface with many micropores, and spray the nutrient solution onto the cultivation bed.
(4) Seepage pipe irrigation facilities: bury specially made seepage pipes in 2-10 cm of substrate, so that the nutrient solution continuously seeps outward. This not only saves water, but also irrigates evenly, and operation is also very convenient. Forcing and retarding cultivation: The cultivation measure of using artificial measures to promote earlier sprouting of Chinese peony flower buds so that they bloom earlier than the natural flowering period is called forcing cultivation. Conversely, the cultivation method of using artificial measures to delay bud sprouting so that the flowering period is later than the natural flowering period is called retarding cultivation. The two are also often called flower period regulation. On the basis of the natural open-field flowering period, by reasonably using forcing and retarding cultivation methods to regulate the flowering period, Chinese peony can be made to bloom year-round. The beginning of flower bud differentiation in Chinese peony is later than in tree peony; its early-flowering varieties begin flower bud differentiation at the end of August, while late-flowering varieties delay until mid-to-late September. Most varieties form petal primordia from mid-November and stop developing, overwintering in this state. After sprouting and growing the following spring, the flower buds continue to develop and eventually bloom.
In order to achieve year-round supply of Chinese peony cut flowers and potted flowers, the method of combining forcing and retarding cultivation is often used to regulate the flowering period. Selecting suitable varieties, choosing robust seedlings with fully developed flower buds and pure varietal characteristics, adopting scientific treatment measures and careful cultivation management are the guarantees for success in forcing and retarding cultivation.
1、Forcing cultivation
(1) Variety selection: To carry out Chinese peony cultivation, the first step is to select varieties suitable for forcing cultivation. Generally, early-flowering varieties are mostly chosen, which can shorten the time to forced flowering, such as "Qiaoling," "Mozi Lou," "Yinhe," "Fenrong Lian," "Da Fugui," "Fengyu Luo Jinchi," and "Meiju," etc.
(2) Cold storage treatment: To make Chinese peony bloom before the natural flowering period, select robust three- or four-year-old plants for cold storage treatment. In the cold storage room, use the soil-burial cold storage method, with buds slightly exposed. During cold storage, check the soil moisture once every half month. If sandy loam is used, it is suitable when it just forms a ball in the hand. Too dry is unfavorable for forcing flowers, and too wet easily causes mold and root rot. The humidity in the cold storage room should be maintained at 3°C. Different varieties have certain differences in treatment humidity and treatment time. For example, if plants are cold-stored in early September, then planted, and kept at 15°C, they will bloom in 60-70 days, that is, they can be marketed in December; if flowering is needed in January-February of the following year, cold storage in October-November is sufficient.
(3) Nutrient soil planting: Plants that have undergone cold storage treatment need to be planted in nutrient soil, with regular spraying or irrigation of nutrient solution, supplemented by hormone management, and special attention should be paid to fertilizer spraying in the later stage. Nutrient soil can be prepared from decomposed leaf mold, garden soil, and sandy soil in a 2:3:1 ratio, plus an appropriate amount of cake fertilizer and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, while nitrogen fertilizer is applied as topdressing after potting. After the plants are taken out of the cold storage, they should first be placed in a cool place to adapt to room temperature. When potting, cover the soil 1 cm above the buds, and after watering the buds are slightly exposed.
(4) Regulation of temperature and humidity: After the forced-flowering plants enter the greenhouse, gradually increase the temperature. The optimum growth temperature for Chinese peony is 20-25°C; above 30°C is unfavorable for growth. The following temperature control methods can be used: early stage 15-20°C for about 10 days; middle stage 15-25°C for about 15 days; late stage 20-25°C for about 20-25 days. The high temperature should not exceed 28°C, and the low temperature should not be lower than 12°C, and drastic temperature changes should be avoided. The relative air humidity should be maintained at 70%-80%, which can be regulated by watering, spraying, and ventilation.
(5) Supplementary light: Chinese peony likes warmth and light. During forcing cultivation in winter and spring, which coincides with the short-day season, supplementary light is particularly important. The photoperiod should be increased to 13-15 hours per day, so that the flower buds develop fully and the flowers are beautiful and large.
(6) Application of hormones: Generally, gibberellin (GA3) is used for treatment. When watering after potting, 2000 mg/L GA3 can be used to further break bud dormancy. When the flower bud diameter is 0.4 cm and 0.8 cm, use 600 mg/L GA3 to smear the flower buds 2 times; when the flower bud diameter is 1.2 cm, use 1000 mg/L GA3 to smear 1 more time.
(7) Other management: When the sprouts grow to 5-10 cm, remove sprout buds without flower buds to avoid wasting nutrients. Afterward, pay attention to removing lateral flower buds, leaving 6-8 flowers per plant. When the flower buds are about to open, watering should be controlled, for sale or rental display. After flowering, do not water the flowers; place them indoors at 15-20°C, and the flowering period can reach 20-30 days. After the flowers fade, return them to the greenhouse, and after the temperature is suitable, plant them back in the open field. If used as cut flowers, after conventional harvesting, continue careful management to nourish roots and promote buds for future use. 2. Retarding cultivation: Retarding cultivation mostly uses late-flowering varieties. The following varieties can be considered: such as "Yang Fei Emerges from Bath," "Linglong Yu," "Bingqing," "Zhao Yuan Fen," "Inkstone Pool Ripples," "Hongyan Feixiang," "Huahong Chonglou," and "Yinzhen Xiu Hongpao," etc.
To make Chinese peony bloom later than the natural flowering period, two measures can be used
(1) Cold storage during dormancy: In early spring, dig up plants that have not yet sprouted and store them in a 0°C cold storage for later use, keeping the plants moist. According to the time of flower use, depending on the season, they can be taken out 30-45 days in advance and given normal cultivation, and they will bloom at the required time.
(2) Cold storage during the growth period: They can be cold-stored when the flower buds are about to open. The cold storage temperature should be higher, at 3-5°C. Two to three days before the flowers are needed, take them out of storage for conventional cultivation. The latter method can only be used for short-term cold storage in the warehouse and can be used to prolong the normal ornamental period; long-term cold storage will cause leggy growth and reduce ornamental value. With the former method, if taken out of storage and planted from April to August, they bloom in 30-35 days; if planted in March or September, they bloom in about 45 days. When summer temperatures are too high, shading treatment can be carried out, supplemented by spraying water to lower the temperature, to avoid high temperatures causing flower bud shrinkage and leaf scorch. Cut flower cultivation: At present, in the total sales of the world flower market, cut flowers account for about 60% of sales. Chinese peony cut flowers, because of their large and colorful flowers, long stems, tolerance for water culture, and convenience for storage and transportation, have become popular goods welcomed in the world flower market. A certain batch of Chinese peony cut flowers is exported every year, and the development prospects are very promising.
For cut flower cultivation, the following measures should be taken:
1. Select varieties suitable for cut flower use
China's existing varieties were all bred for garden cultivation and no varieties have been specially bred for cut flower production. However, from the existing varieties, some suitable for cut flower use can still be selected. Varieties suitable for cut flower production should have the following conditions:
(1) High flower formation rate, profuse blooming type; pedicels and petioles are stiff and upright, branches are long, and leaves are relatively small.
(2) Flower form is well-proportioned, flower color is vivid, fragrance is pleasant, flower buds are round and neat, and the top is not prone to splitting.
(3) Petals are firm in texture, distinctly layered, flower diameter is medium, flowers open upward, and flower buds have little sugary secretion.
(4) Good vase life as a cut flower, long-lasting in water.
(5) Plants grow robustly, with strong growth vigor, strong tillering ability, strong stress resistance, and few pests and diseases. Tolerant of storage and transport. When selecting cut flower cultivars, attention should be paid to the matching of flower color and flowering period to ensure year-round or multi-season supply to the market.
2、Field management
3、Post-harvest management
(1) Timely cutting: When the flower buds show color, keep the lower 2 to 3 compound leaves and cut off the flowering branch. The best time to cut is from early morning to 10 a.m.; if the cutting task is large, it can also be done in the evening. After cutting, immediately place the flowering branches in a bucket of clean water to prevent water loss.
(2) Grading and packaging: In a low-temperature room, remove leaves and grade the flowering branches; the upper 2 compound leaves and the single leaf near the flower bud are kept, while the remaining compound leaves are cut off from the base of the petiole. Wash off the sugar solution secreted on the flower buds with clean water, and divide them into five grades according to branch length: 50 cm, 55 cm, 60 cm, 65 cm, and 70 cm. First wrap each flower bud in soft paper, then put on a corrugated paper tube. According to cultivar and different branch lengths, tie 10 branches into 1 bunch, then trim the base evenly according to length requirements, and immerse the base in 4 mmol/L STS (silver thiosulfate) solution for 10 minutes as pretreatment; then dip quickly in fungicide solution, and after air-drying until there are no water droplets on the leaf surface, pack the bunched peony cut flowers into boxes for transport.
(3) Storage and preservation: According to research on the post-harvest physiology and preservation techniques of cut flowers, in order to extend the vase life of cut flowers, three main problems must be solved: supplying necessary nutrients, preventing vascular blockage, and inhibiting ethylene synthesis. Peony cut flowers cut at the bud stage, treated with STS for 24 hours, then dry-stored in a cold storage at 0 to 2°C for 3 months, and after removal treated with preservative solution, still have a vase life and ornamental value close to those of fresh cut flowers.
Key points for peony cultivation
Thoroughly mix 30 jin of fertilizer and 2-3 jin of superphosphate per 100 jin of sandy loam, then spray with water and pile to compost for 1-2 months. For courtyard planting, holes must also be dug in advance in winter.
"Divide peonies at the Spring Equinox, and they will never bloom" has been proven by many years of practice. The best period for planting and division propagation of peony is from late September to early October; during this period, it should neither be advanced nor delayed. Peony is a deep-rooted flower, so deep pots should be chosen for planting. For home flower growing, generally a deep pot with a diameter of 30 cm and a depth of 40 cm-50 cm is best, and 2-3 plants per pot is suitable. Attention should be paid to cultivation techniques: first spread 3 cm-5 cm of coal cinders as a drainage layer, then fill 15 cm-20 cm of prepared potting soil, then place the seedlings upright and spread out in the pot, straighten the root system, and then fill with potting soil, pressing lightly while filling so that the roots and soil are fully combined. The filling height should preferably exceed the top of the root buds by 4 cm-5 cm. Water thoroughly to settle the roots, and place in a ventilated and sunny place for care.
When the root buds emerge in early spring, combine with watering and lightly apply once a dilute liquid fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer to accelerate vegetative growth. By mid-April, peony enters the bud stage, at which time it shifts from mainly vegetative growth to mainly reproductive growth. From bud appearance to flowering takes about one month. During this period, 1-2 applications of compound fertilizer can be added (2 jin of fertilizer mixed with 100 jin of water), and 2-3 sprays of 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer solution can be applied to promote larger flowers and more vivid color. After the flowering period, promptly cut off faded flowers to reduce nutrient consumption within the plant. At the same time, apply once a liquid fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer to accelerate the growth of young buds at the roots. In winter, peony enters dormancy and its water requirement decreases; as long as the soil retains some moisture, it is sufficient, but appropriate fully decomposed cake fertilizer or barnyard manure must be buried in combination with intertillage and loosening of the soil, to replenish nutrients consumed in the soil and lay a foundation for strong seedlings the following spring.
Propagation methods of peony
The traditional propagation methods of peony are division, sowing, cutting, layering, and other methods, among which division is the easiest and most widely used. The sowing method is only used for breeding new cultivars, producing rootstocks for grafting tree peonies, and medicinal material production. The rapid propagation of ornamental cultivars is an urgent problem to be solved, and hopes have long been placed on tissue culture; much work has been done both domestically and abroad, and although progress has been made so far, there is still a considerable distance from practical application.
Division method
Division is the most commonly used propagation method for peony, and seedling production in peony-producing areas basically uses this method. It has three advantages: first, it flowers earlier than the sowing method; sown seedlings flower in 4-5 years, while divided seedlings can flower the next year; second, division is simple and easy to perform, saves labor in management, and is conducive to wide application; third, it can maintain the excellent traits of the original cultivar. The disadvantage is that the propagation coefficient is low; a three-year-old mother plant can only be divided into 3-5 daughter plants, which is difficult to adapt to and meet the needs of modern large-scale production and the continuously rapidly growing domestic and international flower market. This has always been a major problem troubling peony seedling production.
1. Division time
In theory, peony division can be carried out from the time the overwintering buds are full until the land freezes. However, timely division and planting, while the soil temperature is still high, is beneficial to the healing of root wounds and can sprout new roots, enhancing cold and drought resistance and laying a foundation for sprouting and growth the following year. It should not be divided too early, lest autumn growth occur and affect growth and development the following year; nor should it be divided too late, when the soil temperature can no longer meet the needs of peony root formation, resulting in poor growth of new plants the following year. If delayed until spring division and planting, the buds sprout and emerge from the soil; because spring temperatures gradually rise, air humidity is low, and transpiration is high, the root system is injured after division and cannot normally absorb water and nutrients, causing the divided plants to grow very weakly or even die. Therefore, there is a Chinese agricultural proverb: "Divide peonies at the Spring Equinox, and they will never bloom." The suitable period for peony division is generally earlier than that for tree peony. The agricultural proverb of Heze, "Peony in the seventh month, tree peony in the eighth month" (referring to lunar calendar months), means that in Heze, peony can be divided from the end of August until late September (from End of Heat to Autumn Equinox). In Yangzhou, division is from late September to early November. Divided seedlings can be divided again after three or four years of growth. If not divided for many years, the root system becomes old and decayed, plant growth weakens, and flowering is poor.
2. Division method
When dividing, carefully dig up the fleshy roots, minimizing root damage as much as possible. After digging up, remove the old soil, cut away old hard and decayed parts, and split along natural gaps by hand or with a sharp knife. Generally each plant can be divided into 3-5 daughter plants, each with 3-5 or 2-3 buds; when there are few mother plants and the planting task is large, each daughter plant can also have 1-2 buds, though recovery growth will be slower. When dividing, thick roots should be retained. If the soil is moist, peony roots are brittle and easily broken, so they can be dried for one day before division; after division, shade-dry slightly, dip in nutrient-containing mud slurry, and then plant. In garden green spaces, where peony has been planted for many years and its growth is gradually weakening and urgent replanting is needed, but the flowering period cannot be affected for visitors' viewing, the method of division in place can be used: dig a deep hole beside the peony plant with a shovel to expose part of the peony roots, then use a sharp spade to cut and divide the peony plant, minimizing disturbance to the original plant, take out the cut portion, and carry out division and planting as above; generally it is advisable to cut off half of the original plant. The dug deep hole can be filled with an appropriate amount of fertilizer mixed with soil and compacted. Alternate-row or alternate-plant replanting can also be used; in this way, division and rejuvenation can be carried out without affecting the landscape, only requiring continuous division for 2-3 years. However, because peony is not suitable for continuous cropping, the alternate-row or alternate-plant replanting method cannot be applied continuously, otherwise pests and diseases will occur seriously, growth will be poor, and even the mortality rate will increase greatly.
When peony is cultivated for medicinal use, peony-producing areas mostly use peony crowns for division propagation. In autumn, dig out the mother plant, cut off all thick roots for medicinal use, and use the bud-bearing peony crown as propagation material. First remove peony crowns without buds and with diseased parts, cut the peony crown into blocks, each block with 2-3 strong buds, and the peony crown 2 cm thick; if too thick, the main root is not strong and branches too much; if too thin, nutrients are insufficient. It is best to plant immediately after cutting; if it cannot be planted in time, do not cut it, and the peony crown can be stored in sand for later use. It is suitable to plant from early August to late September.
3. Management after division
The planting depth should preferably be such that the buds enter the soil about 2 cm. Too deep is not conducive to sprouting and easily causes root rot, yellow leaves, and poor growth; too shallow is not conducive to flowering and is susceptible to freezing damage, and even the rhizome crown may be exposed above the ground, leading to death under the scorching sun in summer. If the divided root clump is relatively large (with 3-5 buds), it may flower the second year, but the flowers are small; it is better to remove them so the plant grows well. If the root clump is small (2-3 buds), growth the second year is poor or there is no flowering, and generally 2-5 years of cultivation are required.
Sowing method
The fruit of peony is a follicle, and each follicle contains 1-7 seeds. When the seeds mature, the follicle splits open and disperses the seeds. The fruit ripening period varies by location; for example, in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, it is in early September; in Heze, Shandong, in late August; in Luoyang, Henan, in early to mid-August; and in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, around late August. Seeds should preferably be sown immediately after collection; as sowing time is delayed, seed moisture content decreases and germination rate declines. The seeds have the characteristic of double dormancy of the epicotyl and hypocotyl. After sowing, the autumn soil temperature causes the hypocotyl of the seeds to break dormancy, and the radicle develops and roots. The better the rooting in the current year, the more vigorous the growth the following year; if sowing is too late, the soil temperature cannot break hypocotyl dormancy, rooting cannot occur, and the germination rate the following spring is greatly reduced. After rooting in autumn sowing, after a long period of low temperature in winter, epicotyl dormancy can be broken. The following spring, as temperatures rise and humidity is suitable, the plumule emerges from the soil.
Because the progeny produced by sowing horticultural cultivars of peony will segregate in traits and cannot maintain the excellent traits of the original cultivar, the sowing method cannot be used for propagation of cultivar seedlings.
1. Seed collection
The seeds can be harvested when the follicle fruit turns yellow; if too early, the seeds are not mature; if too late, the seed coat turns black and hard, making emergence difficult. Fruit maturity varies, so harvest in batches. When the pericarp splits and disperses the seeds, they can be sown immediately. Never expose the seeds to the sun, which hardens the seed coat and affects emergence. If they cannot be sown in time, they can be stored in sand with moisture retention, but they must be taken out and sown before the seeds root.
2. Sowing time
Peony must be sown in the same year the seeds are collected and in a timely manner. For example, in the Heze area, sowing is from late August to late September. If later than late September, rooting cannot occur that year, and the germination rate the following spring will be greatly reduced; moreover, even if seedlings emerge, because the seedling root system is underdeveloped, it is difficult to resist spring drought and they are prone to death. Therefore, several spring sowing experiments in Heze all failed.
3. Sowing method
Seed treatment: Before sowing, remove shriveled seeds and impurities from the seeds to be sown, then use water selection to remove unfilled seeds. Although the seed coat of peony is thinner than that of tree peony and absorbs water and sprouts relatively easily, if seed treatment is carried out before sowing, germination will be more uniform and the germination rate greatly increased, often reaching more than 80%. The method is to soak the seeds in 50°C warm water for 24 hours, then take them out and sow immediately.
Bed preparation and sowing: The seedbed land should be given sufficient base fertilizer and deeply plowed and leveled. If the soil is relatively moist and suitable for sowing, beds can be made directly for sowing; if the soil moisture is poor, irrigate fully, then make beds and sow. The bed width is about 50 cm, the distance between beds is 30 cm, and seeds are sown in holes at a row spacing of 6 cm and a seed spacing of 3 cm; if seeds are sufficient, broadcast sowing can be used, with a seed spacing of not less than 3 cm; after sowing, cover with moist soil, about 2 cm thick. About 50 kg of seed is used per 666.7 sq m, or about 100 kg for broadcast sowing. After sowing, cover with plastic film and remove it after seedlings sprout and emerge the following spring. Drill sowing can also be used, with a row spacing of 40 cm, a seed spacing of 3 cm, and soil covering of 5-6 cm; or hole sowing, with a hole spacing of 20-30 cm, 4-5 seeds per hole, and after sowing pile soil 10-20 cm to help prevent cold and preserve moisture. Rake level the following spring before sprouting.
Other propagation methods
1. Cutting method: Choose a nursery site with higher terrain and good drainage for the cutting bed. After loosening the bed soil, spread 15 cm of river sand, and the river sand must be disinfected with 0.5% potassium permanganate. The cutting substrate can also be vermiculite or perlite. Build a shade frame 1.5 m high over the bed. According to experience in Changchun and other places, cuttings taken in mid-July give the best results. The cuttings are 10-15 cm long, with two nodes; keep one compound leaf above with a few leaflets; the lower compound leaf is cut off together with the petiole. After rapid dipping treatment with a 500×10 to 1000×10 naphthaleneacetic acid or indoleacetic acid solution, insert the cuttings, about 5 cm deep, with spacing such that leaves do not overlap. After insertion, water thoroughly, then cover with a plastic tunnel. According to observation, rooting is best when the substrate temperature is 28-30°C and humidity is 50%. If the temperature inside the cutting tunnel is maintained at 20-25°C and humidity at 80%-90%, roots can form 20-30 days after insertion, and dormant buds also form. After rooting, spraying and watering should be reduced, and the plastic tunnel and shade frame gradually removed. Cutting seedlings grow relatively slowly and need to be covered with soil in the bed to overwinter, then moved to open field planting the following spring.
2. Root cutting method: Use the broken roots from autumn division of peony, cut them into 5-10 cm root segments, insert them into a deeply plowed and leveled furrow, with a furrow depth of 10-15 cm, cover with 5-10 cm of fine soil, and water thoroughly.
3. Layering method: In spring, pass the young buds that have just emerged from the soil through the drainage hole of a flower pot and lead them into a flower pot with a diameter of 15-20 cm, gradually fill with soil as they grow, and keep the potting soil moist. By summer they can root. Before winter, cut off the stem below the pot, forming a potted peony.
4. Modern tissue culture method: Plant tissue culture, that is, plant aseptic culture technology, is based on the theory that plant cells are totipotent. It uses isolated peony organs, tissues, or cells (such as roots, stems, leaves, etc.) under aseptic and suitable artificial medium and light, temperature, and other conditions to induce callus, adventitious buds, and adventitious roots, and finally form complete plants with the same heredity as the mother plant. This technology is also called cloning technology, achieves the purpose of rapid propagation, and has broad application value.
Pest and disease control of peony
The main peony diseases include peony gray mold, peony brown spot, and peony red spot.
1. Scarab beetles
Pest species and damage: There are many kinds of scarab beetles that harm peony, such as the black velvety chafer, the apple green chafer, and the yellow-haired chafer. Their adults damage peony leaves and flowers; their larvae, white grubs, have a body nearly cylindrical, curved into a "C" shape, milky white, with a yellow-brown head, 3 pairs of thoracic legs, and no abdominal legs. They feed on peony roots, and the wounds they create also create conditions for Fusarium infection, leading to root rot.
2. Scale insects
(1) Pests and damage: Scale insects are also called scales. There are several species of scale insects that harm peony, such as the cottony cushion scale, the Japanese wax scale, the white peach scale, the mulberry white scale, the peony round scale, and the arrowhead scale.
Scale insects suck the sap of peony, causing the plant to grow weakly and the branches and leaves to turn yellow.
(2) Control methods
① Strengthen quarantine and strictly prevent the introduction of insect-infested seedlings.
② Protect and utilize natural enemies.
③ Spray pesticide during the peak hatching period of eggs. Newly hatched insects have not yet formed a waxy layer on the surface and are easy to kill. Spray 40% omethoate 1000-1500 times dilution, or 50% malathion emulsion 800-1000 times dilution, or 50% phoxim emulsion 1000-2000 times dilution. Spray evenly, covering the whole plant. Spraying after the waxy shell has formed is ineffective.
④ Pour carbofuran solution around the root zone; the plant absorbs the chemical, and the insects are poisoned after sucking the plant sap.
⑤ When individual branches are found to be damaged by scale insects, they can be brushed off with a soft brush, or the infested branches can be cut off and burned.
3. Aphids
(1) Damage: Aphids commonly harm peony. After peony sprouts in spring, aphids fly in to cause damage, sucking the sap of leaves, causing damaged leaves to curl and turn yellow. After seedlings grow larger, aphids often gather on tender shoots, pedicels, and the underside of leaves, causing stems and leaves of the flower seedlings to curl and shrink, and even the whole plant to wither and die.
(2) Occurrence pattern: Under high temperature and dry conditions, aphids reproduce quickly and cause severe damage. Aphids can reproduce several generations to twenty or thirty generations in 1 year. Aphids secrete honeydew, which can hinder the physiological activities of stems and leaves of the damaged plant; at the same time, their honeydew is also a good culture medium for pathogens, often causing sooty mold and other diseases; aphids can also transmit viral diseases.
(3) Control methods
① Remove overwintering weeds.
② Protect and utilize natural enemies. The main natural enemies include the multicolored ladybird, the seven-spotted ladybird, the yellow-spotted ladybird, the tortoise-shell ladybird, hoverflies, and green lacewings.
③ Spray 40% dimethoate emulsion 1000-1500 times dilution, or 80% dichlorvos 1500-2000 times dilution, or 50% menazon emulsion 1000-1500 times dilution.
Cultivar classification of peony
There are about 35 species in the genus Paeonia, distributed in the temperate regions of Europe and Asia. According to their growth habits and flower disk shape, they are divided into two groups. One is the tree peony group, which are deciduous shrubs or subshrubs, with a cup-shaped or disk-shaped flower disk, leathery or fleshy, wholly enclosing the carpels or enclosing the base of the carpels. China has three species (excluding varieties), namely tree peony, yellow tree peony, and purple tree peony. The second is the herbaceous peony group, which are perennial herbs, with the flower disk not developed, enclosing the base of the carpels, and not very obvious. There are about 30 species in the herbaceous peony group, mainly distributed in the temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Another two species are native to the Americas, and some list them separately as a group called the American peony group.
The foreign species of the herbaceous peony group are all important flower species, among which the four most important are: fernleaf peony, with blood-red flowers, native to Bulgaria and the Caucasus; pale yellow peony, with pale yellow flowers, or with light green to white, native to the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea; yellow peony, yellow, native to the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea; red-hearted peony, with white to deep red flowers, native to southern Europe.
China has eight species and six varieties in the herbaceous peony group. Among them, the one usually directly called peony is the main original species of the modern peony cultivar group. The eight peony species are: grass peony, beautiful peony, peony, many-flowered peony, white-flowered peony, Sichuan red peony, ** peony, and narrow-leaved peony.
Classification characteristics of peony flower types
1. Single-flower type: The flower is composed of a single flower.
1.1 Thousand-layer subtype: Petals increase naturally in a centripetal manner, arranged neatly, similar in shape, gradually becoming smaller from outside to inside; stamens are only borne around the ovary and decrease correspondingly as petals increase until they disappear. Flower shape is flat.
① Single-petal type: Petals in 2-3 whorls, broad, with normally developed stamens and pistils, usually referring to the original species type.
② Lotus type: Petals in 4-5 whorls, broad, similar in shape and size; stamens normal, or individual stamens petaloid into fragmented petals, lanceolate petals, or filamentous petals scattered among the stamen cluster; pistils normal.
③ Chrysanthemum type: Petals in more than 6 whorls, gradually becoming smaller from outside to inside; stamens normal, fewer in number; pistils normal, increased in number or
decreased.
④ Rose type: Petals extremely increased, gradually smaller from outside to inside; stamens all disappeared; pistils normal, degenerated and smaller, or completely disappeared.
1.2 Tower subtype: Outer petals broad, 2-3 whorls; stamens petaloid in a centrifugal manner; pistils normal, petaloid, or degenerated. Flower shape raised or tall (except the golden stamen type).
① Golden stamen type: Outer petals broad, 2-3 whorls; stamen anthers enlarged, filaments thickened, stamen cluster bright golden yellow; pistils normal.
② Anemone type: Outer petals broad, 2-3 whorls; stamens completely petaloid into filamentous petals, needle-like petals, or lanceolate petals, slightly larger from outside to inside, standing upright within the outer petals; pistils normal or petaloid into ligulate petals, and the color of the ligulate petals or petal tips is often the original color of the stigma.
③ Golden ring type: Outer petals broad, 2-3 whorls; most stamens petaloid, with the petaloid petals tall, but a ring of normal stamens remains between the petaloid stamens and the outer petals; pistils normal or petaloid.
④ Crown type: Outer petals broad and flat-spreading, 2-3 whorls; closely inside the outer petals, a small number of filamentous petals, needle-like petals, lanceolate petals, or fragmented petals are born in a ring, above which are ligulate petals or lanceolate petals petaloid from stamens, upright, raised, clustered within the outer petals, with a small number of stamens in the center, or degenerated into a short small state; pistils normal or petaloid, degenerated.
⑤ Hydrangea type: Most stamens petaloid into ligulate petals, resembling secondary outer petals; when fully open, the whole flower is full, shaped like a hydrangea, with very few or degenerated stamens in the center; pistils smaller or degenerated.
2. Proliferate type: Refers to the phenomenon in which, when the plant blooms, the growth point at the center of the flower (or inflorescence) or between flowers differentiates flower buds again and blooms. A flower (upper flower) forms again in the center of the flower (lower flower), and the upper flower and lower flower overlap, thereby increasing the degree of doubleness. Some cultivars are even formed by the overlap of 3 or even 4 flowers.
2.1 Thousand-layer subtype: The basal single flower (lower flower) has the basic characteristics of the thousand-layer subtype of the single-flower type. Thousand-layer proliferate type (primary proliferate type): The pistils of the lower flower are normal or slightly petaloid; the upper flower generally has normal stamens and pistils. The whole flower is relatively flat.
2.2 Tower subtype: The lower flower has 2-3 whorls of petals, stamens petaloid, pistils petaloid or degenerated. The whole flower is tall.
① Colored-petal proliferate type: The pistils of the lower flower are petaloid, and most stamens are petaloid; the stamens and pistils of the upper flower are normal or slightly petaloid.
② Layered proliferate type: The petaloid pistils of the lower flower become no different from normal petals, and the petaloid stamens are shorter and smaller than normal petals; the stamens of the upper flower are also mostly petaloid into short petals, and the pistils are petaloid or degenerated. The whole flower has an obvious layered structure.
③ Ball-flower proliferate type: The petaloid stamens of the lower flower elongate and widen to be no different from normal petals, and the petaloid pistils also become normal petals; the petaloid stamens of the upper flower are also mostly difficult to distinguish from normal petals, and the pistils are petaloid or degenerated. The whole flower is ball-shaped.
Medicinal or dietary therapeutic value of peony
The medical information and healthy dietary therapy information on Huahu.com is for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. For any health problem, consult professional medical staff, and for the treatment of any disease, follow the doctor's advice.
Ultimate flower-protecting task: To love yourself, start from reality and strictly follow the doctor's advice. For illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope, face it bravely, warm the silent world with love, and care for the flower field in your heart with your heart.
Medicinal value
Peony is not only a famous flower, but its roots can also be used medicinally. The roots are fresh, crisp, and juicy. When used as medicine, red peony and white peony differ in processing methods. According to analysis, peony roots contain paeoniflorin and benzoic acid, and their uses vary by species. White peony in traditional Chinese medicine mainly refers to the root of peony. It is an antispasmodic, analgesic, and emmenagogue medicine. It is effective for women's abdominal pain, gastric spasm, dizziness, gout, diuresis, and other conditions. Generally, the roots of cultivated peony varieties are used as white peony because their roots are thick, plump, and straight, and the processed product is of good quality. Wild peony, because its roots are thin and small, is only sold as red peony. Red peony in traditional Chinese medicine is the root of grass peony, and has the effects of dissipating blood stasis, invigorating blood circulation, relieving pain, and purging liver fire. It mainly treats irregular menstruation, abdominal pain due to phlegm stagnation, joint swelling and pain, chest pain, hypochondriac pain, and other conditions.
There are hundreds of ancient formulas using white peony as the main medicine, such as "Cinnamon Twig Decoction," which uses peony to harmonize the nutritive and defensive qi of the flesh and exterior; "Scutellaria Decoction," which uses peony to harmonize the nutritive qi in the abdomen; and "Roasted Licorice Decoction," which uses peony to tonify the yin fluids of the blood vessels. In obstetrics and gynecology clinical practice, peony is even more widely used.
[Nature and flavor] Bitter in taste, neutral in nature, non-toxic.
Effects and uses of peony: ornamental value
Peony flowers are large and gorgeous, with rich cultivars. In gardens they are often planted in masses, and when in bloom they are very spectacular. They are a major flower in modern parks or flower beds. Or
planted in bands along paths and roadsides, or cultivated at the edges of woodlands, and paired with low-growing, creeping flowers. Sometimes single plants or two or three plants are planted to appreciate their special flower type and color. There are even specialized gardens composed entirely of peonies, called peony gardens. Peony is also an important cut flower, either for vases or for flower baskets. If cut when the flower buds are about to open and placed in cold storage, they can be stored for several months. Cut flowers are mainly double-flowered cultivars; single-flowered ones placed in vases drop their flowers after only a few days. The ancients judged flowers: peony first, tree peony second, saying that tree peony calls itself the king of flowers, and peony is the minister of flowers. Because it blooms relatively late, it is also called "dianchun" (the last of spring).
Other values
The seeds of peony can be pressed for oil for making soap and mixed with paint as a coating. The roots and leaves are rich in tannins, from which tannin extract can be produced, and they can also be used as a homemade pesticide to kill soybean aphids and control wheat stem rust, etc.
Cultural background of peony: flower story
The main flower story is Four Ministers Wearing Flowers.
Ornamental destinations
The main peony ornamental destinations in China are: Zhongjiang, Sichuan (China's Hometown of Peony, China Peony Valley 4A scenic area), Bozhou (the country's largest traditional Chinese medicinal materials trading market), and Yangzhou. In addition, there are: Heze (Caozhou Hundred Flower Garden), Luoyang (National Tree Peony Garden), and Beijing (Jingshan Park).
Literary classics
Peony is an important flower in Dream of the Red Chamber. In the sixty-second chapter, Shi Xiangyun drunkenly sleeping in the peony garden should be one of the most beautiful scenes in Dream of the Red Chamber.
Poetry works
1. "Feeling the Peony Flowers and Sending to Monk Zhengyi"
Bai Juyi (Tang)
Today before the steps are red peonies, how many flowers are about to fade, how many are new.
When they bloom, one does not understand comparing forms and colors; only after they fall does one know they are like an illusory body.
How far is it from here to the gate of emptiness? I want to ask the monk about the fallen flowers.
"Peonies Bloom in Front of the Hall of the Late Right Chancellor Wang Wei, and I Feel Sorrowfully Moved" by Qian Qi (Tang)
Peonies bloom beyond the old railing; in spring clothes, wiping tears, I come to look again.
The master is gone but the flowers remain, better than the green pines keeping watch through the cold of the year.
2. "Song of Peony"
Han Yu (Tang)
In the elder's courtyard bloom fine flowers, and no common trees contend for spring splendor. Emerald stems and red stamens are given by heavenly power,
This grace does not belong to the Huangzhong family. Warm, fragrant, ripe, and beautiful, fresh fragrance rises; as if smiling without words, they make the gentleman accustomed.
The frost knife cuts you, the heavenly maiden toils; why lower your head and imitate peach and plum? The spoiled, silly maidservant has no spiritual nature,
And vies to pull up spring garments to come here together. Wanting to make both cheeks blush a little,
She polishes the bronze mirror all over by the green window. A cup of spring wine is sweet as syrup; no one knows the elder's joy in this.
Who is the singer who falls drunk before the flowers? The Chu mad young man Han Tuizhi.
3. "Playfully Inscribed on the Peonies Before the Steps"
Liu Zongyuan (Tang Dynasty)
All flowers fade with the season, but the lovely bloom shines bright this morn. Leaning red, drunk on heavy dew, graceful and slender, it keeps the last of spring.
I admire it alone as the white day darkens, warm winds shake it again and again. At night the window fills with fragrant air, and lying in seclusion I feel it near.
I wish to send it as a gift from Zhen and Wei, to the distant people of the south.
4. "After Finishing the Draft Poem, Encountering Peonies Just Opening"
Traditional Chinese painting of herbaceous peony
Traditional Chinese paintings of herbaceous peony (14 images) Bai Juyi (Tang Dynasty)
Having finished drafting the purple-inked edict, I rise and chant a poem on the red peony. After the document is sealed and sent, the flower's mouth opens.
Sitting facing the hooked curtain for long, walking to view it with slow steps. Two or three clumps in full bloom, twelve leaves uneven.
Facing away from the sun the calyx slightly closes, facing the steps the blossom tilts. Hairpin-like stems put forth green stalks, powdery stamens brush yellow threads.
Swaying with boundless feeling, drooping and leaning, strength unable to hold. Looking round and round still not enough, comparison and description are hard to put in words.
Like cinnabar from Goulou, like the flame banners of the dwarfs. Red clouds left at the root, crimson headbands lacking tassels.
Moreover there is the clear breeze's manner, and overnight dew still hanging. One might suspect fragrance perfumes the painted screen, like tears on rouge.
Deliberately lingering for me, speechless, resentful thoughts for whom? It must grieve that tomorrow it will fall, as if lamenting a year's separation.
The lotus has mud and joined calyxes, the rose has thorns around its branches. Weighed equally, none is superior; only the eye and the heart know.
5. "Herbaceous Peony"
Zhang Bi (Tang Dynasty)
Fragrance clear, powder pale, resenting the fading spring; butterfly wings and bee antennae linger on the staminal dust. Idly leaning in the evening wind, a sense of melancholy arises,
Quietly keeping the slow day, learning to follow along. Do not make the climbing fig into a green screen; better to be a close neighbor to the rose.
If scattered and made to follow the evening rain, it would again grieve to death those who part.
6. "Qingping Yue: Zhang Xiushi's Herbaceous Peony Lyrics"
Liu Minzhong (Yuan Dynasty)
Tree peony blossoms fall. In dreams the east wind is cruel.
I hear it said your family has red herbaceous peonies. They make one forget all spring sorrow.
A hundred paces beyond the wall, fragrance comes. Several clumps fully open for me.
Willing to plunge into the pile of colored clouds, and when drunk lie together on the green moss.
7. "Matching the Rhyme of Xu Zida's Poem on Tree Peony and Herbaceous Peony at Li the Chancellor's Residence"
Hong Yan (Song Dynasty)
The mountain lily's fair nature crowns the year, and with lingering beauty it closes the ranks of a hundred flowers.
See how the three spring months pass like a shifting shadow; plucking one with a smile is this life.
Silk and gauze do not envy a beauty that can topple a city; bees and butterflies can hardly peer into the chancellor's house.
Ten years in the capital with dim, sick eyes; pitiful that wind and rain scatter the morning clouds.
8. "Red Herbaceous Peony"
Wang Zhe (Yuan Dynasty)
This Wang Zhe knows clearly, seeing the chrysanthemum's firm integrity. So he takes Chongyangzi as his name.
Just right to lean on each other. Often he wants to compose it into poetry; the brush never stops and it comes naturally.
Incense of the heart arises, printing out immortal scriptures, and then penetrating and overturning. And then penetrating and overturning.
Early obtaining the good cause, quickly pushing into the profound. Mysterious and wondrous, let it be exhaustively examined.
And further eat the magic mushrooms. White qi causes it, above and below full and brimming, the golden elixir congeals and is refined into a treasure.
Relying on the season, forever dwelling in eternal life, residing in the Ten Continents and Three Isles.
9. "Red Herbaceous Peony"
Yuan Zhen (Tang Dynasty)
The herbaceous peony bursts open red silk, the Ba fence weaves a green screen. Dense threads pucker golden stamens, tall flames face the stove fire.
Cut and carved red cloud pieces, spread open wrapped in red mist. Smoke-light on glassy leaves, wind bends the coral blossoms.
Receiving dew, its color is low and dim; facing people, it is charming and graceful. A flushed face weeping after drink, a small girl dressed and seated.
Gorgeous beyond brocade, tender beyond the peach. The clear sunset glow fears it will scatter, the evening sun grieves it will fall.
For whom was it planted, this delight expected of me? To pick it surely brings much thought; how can a secluded gift come to pass?
10. Five Poems of a Spring Day
Qin Guan (Song Dynasty)
In one evening a light thunder drops ten thousand threads, the clearing light floats on the tiles, green uneven.
The charm of herbaceous peony
The charm of herbaceous peony (8 images)
The feeling herbaceous peony holds spring tears, the powerless rose lies on the morning branch.
11. "Ode to the Herbaceous Peony Flower"
Herbaceous peonies crowd with budding buds, the warm wind urgently plays matchmaker.
The flower fairy wishes to leave her chamber, not knowing whom she will marry.
-- Zhang Zhizhen
12. Slow Song of Yangzhou: The Famous City on the Left of the Huai
[Southern Song] Jiang Kui
On the winter solstice of the bing-shen year of Chunxi, I passed through Weiyang. The night snow had just cleared, and shepherd's purse and wheat filled the view. Entering the city, I found all around desolate; the cold water was naturally green, dusk gradually rose, and the garrison bugle sadly sounded. My heart was sorrowful, moved by the present and the past, so I composed this tune myself. The Old Man of a Thousand Cliffs thought it had the sorrow of "Shu Li."
The famous city on the left of the Huai, the fine spot at Zhuxi, I unstrapped my saddle and rested briefly at the start of my journey. Passing the spring breeze for ten li, all was green shepherd's purse and wheat. Since the barbarian horses peered across the river, the ruined ponds and tall trees still loathe to speak of war. Gradually at dusk, the clear bugle blows cold, all in the empty city.
Du the young master's fine appreciation, if he came again today he would surely be startled. Even with cardamom lyrics skilled, and green-bower dreams fair, it is hard to express deep feeling. The Twenty-Four Bridges still remain, the wave-heart ripples, the cold moon silent. Thinking of the red herbaceous peonies by the bridge, year after year, for whom do they know to bloom?
Red Herbaceous Peony
In a human life of a hundred years, seventy is rare. Subtract another ten years of childhood, and another ten of dim old age. Altogether fifty years, half is divided off by the sleep demon. In those twenty-five years, how could there be no worries at all.
Think carefully, it is best to pursue joy early. When meeting wine and flowers, one can laugh and be proud. Let the jade mountain topple. Facing the scene, just get deeply drunk; human life is like dew on fragrant grass. Fortunately of late there is wine like the River Mian, to form a thousand-autumn bond of song and laughter.
Allusions of the Herbaceous Peony
It is said that neither the tree peony nor the herbaceous peony is an ordinary flower; in a certain year when plague struck the human world, the Jade Maiden or the Flower God stole the Queen Mother of the West's immortal elixir and scattered it over the world. As a result, some became the woody tree peony, and others became the herbaceous peony, and to this day the herbaceous peony still carries the character for "medicine." A laugh, but the flowers, leaves, roots and stems of both tree peony and herbaceous peony can indeed be used as medicine; tree peony bark is especially famous, and Hangzhou white herbaceous peony root is even a top-grade tonic for nourishing yin and enriching the blood. Therefore the herbaceous peony is also called "the flower of women's medicine."
In the ancient West there was a similar legend, saying that the famous ancient Greek physician Asclepius had a clever student, Paeon, who surpassed his master and even healed the wound of Hades, god of the underworld. In jealousy Asclepius killed young Paeon. Fortunately the King of the Underworld, mindful of the kindness, turned young Paeon into a healing flower, namely the peony. Westerners have also always believed that the peony possesses a certain magic; wherever peonies grow, demons vanish without a trace, and it can even stand against a flower as poisonous as the mandrake.
Differences between the herbaceous peony and the tree 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 short (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.
3. The tree peony's leaves are broad, green on the upper side with a slight tinge of yellow, while the herbaceous peony's leaves are narrow, dark green on both sides;
4. The tree peony's flowers are borne at the tips of the flowering branches, mostly solitary, with a flower diameter generally around 20 cm; while the herbaceous peony's flowers are mostly clustered at the branch tips, with a flower diameter around 15 cm.
5. The tree peony is called the king of flowers. The herbaceous peony is called the minister of flowers.
6. The tree peony's leaves tend to be grayish green, while the herbaceous peony's leaves are glossier.
7. The tree peony has a richer variety of flower colors than the herbaceous peony.
Herbaceous peony pictures