Peony
The Peony, Paeonia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Paeoniaceae. Most are herbaceous perennials 0.5-1.5m tall, but some are woody plants, making shrubs to 2-3m tall. They produce large, often fragrant flowers in shades of red to white or yellow in late spring and early summer. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America.
Species of peony include:
- Herbaceous species (about 30 species)
- Brown's Peony (Paeonia brownii)
- California Peony (Paeonia californica)
- Chinese Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
- Japanese Peony (Paeonia japonica)
- Balkan Peony (Paeonia mascula)
- European Peony (Paeonia officinalis)
- Greek Peony (Paeonia parnassica)
- Veitch's Peony (Paeonia veitchii)
- Woody species (four species)
- Delavay's Tree Peony (P. lutea)
- Yellow Tree Peony (P. lutea)
- Potanin's Tree Peony (P. potaninii)
- Moutan Peony (P. suffruticosa)
Folk medicine
"Ebisugusuri", the Japanese name for the peony means "medicine from China."
In traditional folk medicine, peony root was used as a treatment for menstrual cramps, asthma and convulsions.
State flower of Indiana
In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony as the state flower of Indiana. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.
