Is the peony a woody plant? An introduction to the botanical characteristics of the peony

Other names for the peony flower

Shugu, Lujiu, Bairong, Mu Shaoyao, Bai Yujin, Luoyang flower, Fugui flower.

Growth habits of the peony flower

It likes a warm, cool, dry environment with plenty of sunlight. It likes sunlight, can also tolerate partial shade, tolerates mild alkalinity, fears waterlogging, and fears direct blazing sun. It is suitable for growing in loose, fertile, neutral soil. Soil that is too heavy and sticky tends to cause poor growth.

The suitable temperature for growth is 15~25°C, and above 25°C it enters a dormant state. Between 17~20°C, it blooms most gorgeously. The peony flower is tolerant of low temperatures and can overwinter safely at -30°C. However, in cold northern regions, attention should be paid to keeping it warm in winter to avoid frost damage.

The hot, humid environment of the south is unfavorable for the growth of the peony, so in the south, specific conditions are needed for its care in order to see its wonderfully beautiful flowers.

Morphological characteristics of the peony flower

The peony flower is a perennial deciduous small shrub that grows slowly, with a small plant form, mostly 0.5~2 m in height; the roots are fleshy, thick and long, with a woody center, generally 0.5~0.8 m in length, and in very few cases the roots can reach 2 m in length; the color of the root bark and root flesh varies by variety; the peony flower's branches are upright and brittle, round, forming a shrubby shape from several branches clustered at the root crown; the current year's growth is smooth, herbaceous, yellow-brown, and often splits open and peels off; the leaves are alternate, and the leaf blades are usually bipinnately trifoliolate; the upper part of the peony flower's branches often bears simple leaves, and the leaflets have shapes such as lanceolate, ovate, and elliptic, with the terminal leaflet often 2~3-lobed; the upper surface of the leaf is dark green or yellow-green, and the lower surface is grayish green, smooth or hairy; the peony flower's total petiole is 8~20 cm long, with a groove on the surface; the flowers are solitary at the top of the current year's branches, bisexual, large and brightly colored, beautiful and varied in form, with a flower diameter of 10~30 cm; the flower colors include ten major colors: white, yellow, pink, red, purplish red, purple, ink purple (black), snow blue (pinkish blue), green, and multicolor.

Types of peony flowers

There are many classification methods for peony flowers. By plant form, they can be divided into upright type, spreading type, and semi-spreading type; by bud type, they can be divided into round bud type, narrow bud type, hawk-beak type, and exposed-mouth type; by branching habit, they can be divided into single-branch type and cluster-branch type; by flower color, they can be divided into white, yellow, pink, red, purple, ink purple (black), snow blue (pinkish blue), green, and multicolor; by flowering period, they can be divided into early-flowering type, mid-flowering type, late-flowering type, and autumn-winter type (some varieties have the habit of blooming twice, blooming in spring and then naturally blooming again in autumn and winter, which is called the autumn-winter type); by flower form, they can be divided into four levels: series, class, group, and type. The four series are the peony series, the rockii peony series, the yellow peony series, and the purple peony series; the two classes are the single-flower class and the terrace-flower class; the two groups are the thousand-layer group and the tower group; below the group, they are divided into several types according to flower shape, such as single-petal type, lotus type, gui-supporting type, crown type, and so on.

After the peony flower went from wild to cultivated, due to changes in environmental conditions and continuous artificial selection and cultivation, in addition to variations in flower color, flower form, and early or late flowering period, variations also occurred in plant form, root length and thickness, and leaf color and shape.

The flower language of the peony flower

The peony flower is the king of a hundred flowers and carries the meaning of completeness, wealth, and elegance and grace. The peony flower also symbolizes expectation, faint love, devoted effort, and a person of noble purity and trustworthiness.