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Paeoniaceae
Chinese Peony
Paeonia lactiflora
Prosperity and romance.
- Family
- Paeoniaceae
- Genus
- Paeonia
- Native to
- China, Mongolia, Siberia
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Early Summer
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 2-3 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- well-drained, fertile, slightly alkaline
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 3-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Peonies can live for over 100 years, with some plants in Chinese gardens reportedly surviving for centuries.
- They require a period of winter chilling below 40 degrees F to bloom, which is why they struggle in tropical climates.
- The Chinese peony is the parent species of most modern garden peony cultivars.
- In China, the peony is known as the 'king of flowers' and was the national flower of the Tang Dynasty.
- Ants are commonly seen on peony buds eating nectar, but they are not required for the flowers to open as myth suggests.
Color meanings
0
prosperity
1
romance
2
honor
3
beauty