Peonies dazzle, they charm and delight and captivate everyone’s attention with their seductive blooms. I ponder sometimes if maybe because Paeonia is the only genus in the Paeoniaceae family, nature decided that therefore no-one should outshine her beauty.
for pecies come from Western-North America. They share their beauty between about 30 distinguished herbaceous species and 8 woody species.
Especially woody tree Peonies but also herbaceous Peonies are one of the earliest propagated plant varieties in the world. In China the herbaceous Peony called “Shaoyao” was described in 8th century B.C. in Chinese literature. P. suffriticosa was a popularly cultivated plants as early as the 6th century A.D, grown in those days for their medical properties. The Chinese cal this species ‘The King of Flowers’ and the finest and rarest of cultivars changed hands for for fast sums of money. P. suffriticosa was closely guarded in the grounds of the Chinese emperor and his mandarins. This species finally made it to Europe in 1787 when Sir Joseph Banks procured a specimen for Kew Gardens in London.
All varieties originating from Europe are herbaceous Peonies. Some, such as Paeonia mascula were cultivated for centuries in monastery gardens for their medicinal benefits but one of the earliest Peonies that occurred in western gardens was Paeonia officinalis. A huge crimson Peony, compact and very hardy that became common in gardens and often survived, untended in abandoned gardens.
Peonies in the garden
Peonies are hardy to Zone 3 and grow well as far south as Zones 7 and 8. They relish cold winters, because they need chilling for bud
formation. Peonies are not fussy and very long lasting and don’t really need to be divided, unless you want to share the plant bounty with your gardening friends. If you do decide to divide, make sure each division has at least five eyes. It is a good idea to trim the ends of the roots. Dividing should be done in fall and the plant needs to have settled in well before the first hard frost. Peonies planted in the fall do better. They have a real head-start compared to Peonies planted in spring.
Once planted they really do not like to be disturbed, so choose your spot wisely. A place in the sun is good but also dappled shade will do. They do bloom better with more sun but where summers are hot, they need a little protection during the hottest part of the day. An east or west facing wall would be a fine place for them but do make sure that the drainage is excellent.
Carol Adelman from Adelman’s Peony Garden suggests to dig a large hole 2ft by 2ft deep and then fill it back in again, place the Peony on top and put no more than about two inches of dirt over the tuber. This way the drainage will be excellent and you avoid the very common mistake of burying the plant too deep, in which case it will not bloom.
Although Peonies are easy to grow, they can be susceptible to grey mold, or also called Botrytis. the best way to prevent this is to make sure the plants have good air circulation and clean up the debris, avoid overhead watering and cut down the plant after a hard frost.
If you do see grey mold, cut the affected area out completely and discard in the trash, not in you compost bin.
When mulching your perennial bed you want to keep the mulch away from the base of the plant, Peonies do not like their base covered.
A low nitrogen fertilizer is best, sprinkle a little in the hole during planting and when your soil is poor, the best time to fertilize is in early summer, after the Peonies have bloomed.
Sometimes the blooms can be top-heavy so many gardeners use supports to stop the stems from flopping to the ground.
Ants and Peonies have a close connection, the ants crawl all over the buds and feed on the nectar, in return they attack other bud eating plants. No need to spray the ants, they help the buds mature.
Peonies in floral design.
It is hard to say where Peonies are more appreciated; in the garden or in the house? Peonies make such excellent cut flowers that they are never out of favor with anyone, these blooms are always a welcome addition. She brings not only beauty but also fragrance to a bouquet, dazzling the senses anyway she can, but her season is short, alas. Since Peonies can not be tricked to bloom out of season, Peony lovers will have to get their fill mostly in May and a little while in June. But when their season is here, you will find them in stores, gardens and markets alike.
Flower growers however have found a great trick to extend their season for a little while. Picked and placed in water at the right time when the buds feel like a fresh marshmallow, allows for the longest enjoyment of the blooms. However, at this point the stems can also be kept out of water, in a flower cooler for up to two months!
When harvesting, it is recommended to not cut more that one third of the blooms with long stems. More blooms can be cut on a short stem, but leave the foliage on the shrub. This ensures a healthier future for the plant. The foliage is attractive in itself, it provides shiny fresh green leaves to the summer garden. In the fall the leaves start turning color and at this stage it is OK to cut the leaves, which then make great additions to any fall flower arrangement.
Research is being done in Alaska to see if Peonies can do well there. In Alaska the Peony season is almost two months later than on the continental United States and would allow for a much longer Peony season, lasting throughout the summer. Who would say no to that?
Peonies can last in water or foam 7 to ten days. Condition like other woody stems, cut on a slant with a sharp knife and use a clipper to cut 1-2″ lengthwise into the stem, to help expose more surface area for water uptake.
Medicinal use
The roots, seeds and less commonly the flower, are used to make medicine. Peony is sometimes called red peony and white peony. This does not refer to the color of the flowers but to the color of the processed root.
Pliny the Elder described the plant and the seeds in the first century BC. He claimed that the Peony has healing properties for 20 or so maladies from liver disease and stomach aches to nightmares and lung trouble.
The plant was and still is highly valued in Chinese medicine. Medicinal properties of this plant are: antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue and sedative.
Peony is used for gout, osteoarthritis, fever and respiratory tract illnesses. It also claimed to have healing powers for all sorts of menstrual problems, liver problems and hardening of the arteries. It is used in chronic fatigue, epilepsy, pertussis, migraine headaches and more. Sometimes applied to relief dry or cracked skin and is also a useful remedy for hemorrhoids.
Herbal use
The plant is toxic especially the flower so it is a little puzzling that I find references of people using the Peony petals for tea time delicacies, sprinkled on summer salads or floating in punches or lemonades. And Peony water was used for drinking in the middle ages.
Folklore
Pliny the Elder cautions us to only dig up Peonies at night. If you attempt to dig during daylight hours you may well be attacked by woodpeckers who are likely on the hunt for peoples eyeballs! So please beware.
The Peony was named after the Greek god called Paeon, a healer who healed the battle wounds of Ares and Hades in Greek mythology.
During the time of Chief Joseph the Nez Pierce were great horse people and excellent in horse racing. It has been said that the seed of Peonies was chewed and put in the horses’ mouth just before the race. No need to tell you that that horse would always win.
