The majestic peony, among the world’s most enduring cultivated ornamental plants, represents a two-thousand-year chronicle of shifting cultural aesthetics, sophisticated genetic exchange, and relentless horticultural pursuit across continents. This beloved flower’s transition from a mountain-dwelling medicinal herb to a centerpiece of global gardening reflects continuous human effort to refine natural beauty.

Asia’s Ancient Roots and Imperial Status

Cultivation of the peony officially began in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). Initially, the plant was valued not for its magnificent blooms but for the medicinal properties found in the roots of tree peonies (Paeonia suffruticosa). Documentation from the era confirms its use in traditional Chinese medicine to address various ailments.

The peony’s status transformed profoundly during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). The imperial court elevated the flower to an emblematic position, signifying wealth, honor, and prosperity. The capital city of Luoyang became a burgeoning epicenter of peony horticulture, where competition among wealthy nobles spurred the development of spectacular new cultivars. Associated with figures like Emperor Xuanzong’s concubine, Yang Guifei, the peony became a defining symbol of feminine beauty and elite refinement.

By the subsequent Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE), cultivation techniques had reached remarkable sophistication. Highly detailed garden treatises, such as those penned by the scholar Ouyang Xiu, documented hundreds of distinct varieties, focusing on classification systems and advanced growing practices.

European Medicine to Modern Ornament

Concurrently, herbaceous peonies (Paeonia lactiflora and related species) established an independent ancient history in Europe, recognized primarily for their therapeutic uses. Named after Paeon, the mythical physician of the Greek gods, the plant’s properties were recorded by classical writers like Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides. Throughout the medieval period, European cultivation was largely restricted to monastery physic gardens, focusing solely on the plant’s remedial value rather than its ornamental potential.

The 18th and 19th centuries marked a pivotal moment of global exchange that revolutionized the flower’s trajectory. European plant explorers successfully introduced Chinese tree peonies into Western gardens, captivating horticulturists with their large, complex blooms. Simultaneously, the introduction of superior Chinese herbaceous varieties provided Western breeders with unprecedented genetic material, notably offering wider color palettes and larger flower forms than native European species.

This exchange produced a breakthrough in mid-19th century France. Hybridizers, most notably Victor Lemoine, successfully crossed disparate species, merging the hardiness of European plants with the spectacular floral attributes of their Chinese counterparts, generating the double-flowered garden peonies familiar today.

Japanese Refinement and American Innovation

Japan developed a separate, distinctive aesthetic tradition after receiving the flower around the 8th century. Unlike China, which prized the elaborate double-flowered forms, Japanese cultivators focused on varieties emphasizing natural simplicity, often favoring single or semi-double blooms. Regions like Shimane Prefecture became renowned for their sophisticated tree peony cultivation, elevating viewing the flowers to a respected cultural pastime.

Across the Atlantic, American breeders took the lead in the 20th century. The American Peony Society, established in 1903, codified standards for cultivation and registration. Groundbreaking interspecific hybridization work by Professor A.P. Saunders in the mid-20th century successfully crossed different species, fundamentally expanding the color spectrum available to gardeners, introducing previously unseen coral, orange, and true yellow tones. The American Midwest, with its favorable climate, rapidly emerged as the commercial center for peony nursery growth throughout the century.

The Future of the “King of Flowers”

Contemporary peony cultivation continues to push botanical limits through scientific methods, including chromosome manipulation. The creation of Itoh or Intersectional peonies—hybrids fusing the large flowers and colors of tree peonies with the robust growth habit of herbaceous types—exemplifies modern innovation.

China, through centers like Luoyang, has re-emerged as a dominant force in commercial production and breeding programs. Meanwhile, research into peony genetics and biochemistry continues globally, exploring everything from optimal growing conditions to potential pharmaceutical applications.

From the lush palace gardens of the Tang Dynasty to today’s suburban landscapes, the peony maintains its powerful cultural legacy. It remains China’s “king of flowers,” symbolizing prosperity, while offering modern gardeners a stunning, long-lived perennial—a tangible horticultural link stretching back across two millennia of transnational dedication.

訂花