What is the biggest difference between tree peony and herbaceous peony? Teach you to tell them apart easily

Plant cultivation is a highly profound field of knowledge and has long attracted widespread attention. So what are the differences between herbaceous peony and tree peony? I believe everyone is eager to know the answer to this question, so next let us take a look at what the differences between herbaceous peony and tree peony are. Through learning about plant cultivation, we can better apply it to daily life, so let us take a look below at what the differences between herbaceous peony and tree peony are.

How to tell herbaceous peony from tree peony

Method one: look at the stem

The stem of the tree peony is woody; after the leaves fall, part of it does not wither. The stem of the herbaceous peony is herbaceous; after the leaves fall, the above-ground part withers. This is the essential difference between the two: one is herbaceous and one is woody, and you can tell just by looking at the stem.

Method two: look at the flower type

The flowers of the tree peony are all borne singly at the top, and the flower type is large; while the flowers of the herbaceous peony are borne singly or several at the top, and the flower type is relatively small.

Method three: look at the leaves

The surface of tree peony leaves is green with a slight yellow tinge, hairless, with a powdery substance underneath; the surface of herbaceous peony leaves is dark green and the leaves are relatively dense.

Method four: look at the flowering period

The tree peony blooms in March, while the herbaceous peony blooms in late spring and early summer. You can also judge which is the tree peony and which is the herbaceous peony from the flowering period.

The difference between tree peony flowers and herbaceous peony flowers

Look at the stem

The tree peony is a shrub, a woody plant that can grow to 2 m tall. The stem of the tree peony is woody, and after the leaves fall part of it does not wither. The tree peony is also called "woody peony".

The herbaceous peony is a short perennial tuberous herbaceous plant no taller than 1 m. Its stem is herbaceous, and after the leaves fall the above-ground part withers. The herbaceous peony is also called "boneless flower".

Look at the flower type

The flowers of the tree peony are borne at the top of the flowering branches, mostly solitary, with a flower diameter generally around 20 cm.

The herbaceous peony flowers are solitary at the top of the branch or in the leaf axil near the top, with a flower diameter of around 15 cm.

Look at the leaves

Tree peony leaves are broad and thick, with the upper side green and slightly yellow, hairless, with a powdery substance underneath.

Herbaceous peony leaves are narrow and thin; both sides of the leaves are dark green, and the leaves are relatively dense.

Look at the flowering period

The tree peony blooms earlier than the herbaceous peony. The tree peony generally blooms in mid-to-late April.

The herbaceous peony blooms in early-to-mid May, and the flowering periods of the two differ by about 15 days.

The tree peony and herbaceous peony, both belonging to the Paeoniaceae family, do have similarities. In particular, the large flowers of the tree peony and herbaceous peony look so similar that one could "call a deer a horse", but their differences are still quite obvious.

The biggest differences between tree peony and herbaceous peony are:

1. Distinguish by branch or stem: the tree peony is a shrub with a woody stem, while the herbaceous peony is a perennial herbaceous plant with a herbaceous stem.

2. Distinguish by leaves: tree peony leaves are broad and thick, with the upper side green and slightly yellow, while herbaceous peony leaves are narrow and thin;

3. Distinguish by flowers: the flowers of the tree peony are borne at the top of the flowering branches, with a flower diameter generally around 20 cm; while the herbaceous peony flowers are solitary at the top of the branch or in the leaf axil near the top, with a flower diameter of around 15 cm.

4. Distinguish by flowering period: the tree peony generally blooms in mid-to-late April, while the herbaceous peony blooms in early-to-mid May. The tree peony blooms about half a month earlier than the herbaceous peony.

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