General information

You might have guessed it….. we are passionate about peonies !  

Few herbaceous plants can rival them for floral display and foliage. Their exquisite, large blossoms, often fragrant, make excellent cut flowers. Peony blooms look wonderful as a solitaire or in combination with other plants such as deep purple alliums and late flowering tulips. After flowering, their deep green and sometimes burgundy colored foliage provides an interesting background for annuals or other perennials.  

Peony flower colors range from pristine white through pinks, cherries, reds, and corals and near-yellows. Add blushes, blends and bicolor with stamens of gold, or various centers of contrasting colors and there will be a peony to meet anyone’s taste.
 

Myths, Magic and a little History

Peonies were already popular in China and grown for cultivation some 2,000 to 4,000 years ago depending on the source of information. The Chinese name for the Peony is "Sho Yo", or "Most Beautiful". Poetry, legend and art all refer to the flower and to this day, the peony is used in many Chinese decorations. Japan was the following country to be captivated by this flower after Chinese Buddhist monks brought tales of this flower to Japan.

The Greek Gods on Mount Olympus also encountered this flower and according to legend were responsible for giving it its name. 

According to Greek mythology, the Peony was named for Paeon, a physician. Poor Paeon made the mistake of getting caught up in a feud between two gods. Paeon healed Pluto’s wounds after a fight with another god using a plant found on the slopes of Mount Olympus. As a result, Paeon made an deadly enemy of the opponent god, but was saved from the fate of dying as other mortals, by being turned into the very same plant which Paeon had used to heal the first god.

Legend and superstition have always been close to the peony. According to legend, powerful forces reside in the blossom of a plant that glows in the dark on the night of a full moon. Seeds from certain peonies radiate a pale light in the darkness. To keep the magic, the roots could only be dug during the night. According to the legend, punishment for disturbing a peony during daylight hours was terrible; woodpeckers would appear and peck the culprit’s eyes out. However, the Boon Pioenrozen staff have ample experience with disturbing peonies and still enjoy excellent eyesight !

The peony was already described by Pliny in 87 AD and continued to be popular during medieval times. Charlemagne reportedly described it as "the friend of physicians and the praise of cooks", which probably best characterizes how herbs played such a role in both the kitchen and for medicinal purposes an important part in everyday life.

Since 1830, the genus "Paeonia" belongs to the "Paeoniaceae" family (before then it belonged to the "Ranunculaceae" family). The plants belonging to the family of "Paeoniaceae" grow on the northern hemisphere.  The genus "Paeonia" has approximately 30 - 42 varieties, which can be divided into herbaceous and woodly peonies. Woodly peonies (tree peonies) have often more flowers per stalk. Tree peonies are, contrary to its name, seldom higher than two meters and are effectively a shrub. 

Flower shapes

Peonies are classified according to flower form. There are several groups in which peonies can be divided:

1. The lactifora-group is one of the most important groups of herbaceous peonies. They all have the same ancestor; Paeonia lactiflora. This plant grew originally in China and was exported to Europe later. This group can be separated in 8 different sub-varieties depending the flower, which varies from single flowered to full-filled:

   	The single variety, these have most of the time a single row of 5 till10 petals. The heart exists of functional stamen. For example: Athena, Crinkled White, Scarlet O'Hara.
   	The Japanese variety, these have huge outer petals with also stamen. These stamens, which often contain yellow anthers and filaments, are getting broader. For example: Nippon Beauty, Madame Butterfly.
   	The anemone variety, this variety is again one step further. The filaments became even wider. The anthers are disappeared. These filaments fill partly the heart of the flower. There are also the center petals; they are still narrow and short. For example: Doreen en Gay Paree.
   	The semi double variety, the filaments have widened irregularly. The center petals can be yet clearly differentiated. For example: Paula Fay, Coral Charm, Miss America.
   	The crown variety, The heart has two sorts of pataloïds. The broad filaments and the differentiated center petals. These two form together a ball. For example: Big Ben en Monsieur Jules Elie.
   	The bomb variety, the petaloïds became broader and higher. The outer petals are still visible. For example: Red Charm, Raspberry Sundae.
   	The semi-rose variety, the outer petals can no longer be distinguished clearly. Some of the petaloïds aren’t large enough. For example: Shirley Temple, Elsa Sass.
   	The rose (full double) variety, which is a full-filled flower. All filaments and center petals have changed and all look like petals. For example: Gardenia, Kansas.

    

2. De Wittmanniana-group comprises peonies originating from the Caucasus. These are all single flowers and flower early. Paeonia Mlokosewitschii and Paeonia Wittmanniana’s flowers are a light yellow color. The flowers are not suitable for cutting. They are also very rare and therefore very expensive.
3. The Officinalis-group constitutes a large number of peony varieties with single and double-flowered blooms. It comprehends the most important sorts comprising the farmer’’ peony and has been extensively hybridized. They grew, by origin, in South Europe and West Asia.
4. The Anomone-group consists of plants with delicate foliage. The group grows in a large area ranging from the Ural ( West- Russia ), the Kola-peninsula (in the north of Russia ), the Tien-chain ( Kazakhstan ) to the West Gobi dessert ( Mongolia ). This variety flowers at the end of the spring till the beginning of the summer.
5. The Suffruticosa group, also known as tree peony. This sort cannot survive in cold winters. In the winter it will lose its foliage. The plant needs a warm place.
6. The Itoh group exists of peonies, which are a hybrid of the yellow tree peony with a Paeonia lactiflora. The hybrid produces exceptionally fine flowers. For example: the Bartzella.