The Peony Flower

As a symbol of happiness, wealth and luck, the Peony flower holds national significance in China with over 2000 years of cultivation there. Peonies' voluminous presence has also captivated indigenous gardens in Europe and North America. The English are practically manic over the brief blossoming season of Peonies and cultivation in France has captured the flower's fragrant essence into perfumes. Aside from their showy blooms and sweet smell, in Japan Peonies are called Ebisugusuri, which translates as "medicine from China", or "foreign medicine."

Its perennial bloom and herbal uses for healing has often carried the Peony in traditional symbolism in China, Mongolia, Taiwan, Japan, Ancient Greece, European culture and in the Victorian Language of Flowers. Its lone genus, Paeonia, in the Paeoniaceae family, may have anywhere from 25 to 40 species, with certain varieties in Japan being called "the king of flowers." While often regarded as the unofficial national flower of China, the state of Indiana in the U.S. made the Peony their state flower in 1957.

With a sweetly regal presence, Peonies have attracted these traditional and officiated accolades from humankind, but their charming nectar also attracts ants. Small armies of the insects can often be seen parading in dark contrast to the flower's soft shades of red, pink, yellow, peach, cream, crimson and white. These small visitors are no threat to the hardy rein of Peonies' in gardens and some varieties have been known to survive as perennials for up to 50 years.

Peonies make their entrance in the cut flower industry during the late spring to early summer season, and are rarely harvested year long. The explosion of blooms in some Peonies sometimes gives them the nickname, "bomb peony." Large bulbous heads spread their petals like a firework of soft colors in slow motion, which may last up to a week in a vase.

Like the Japanese came to regard the Peony, the ancient Greeks also revered the flowers' healing properties. Peonies get their name from the Greeks, attributed to Paeon who was physician to the gods. The legend tells of Paeon who was a disciple of Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing. Paeon was astute and, like the flower, blossomed with great charisma throwing his teacher into a fit of jealousy. In order to save Paeon, the CEO of mount Olympus, Zeus, made an executive decision and preserved the promising physician by turning him into the Peony flower. It is from here that the peony flower propagates its healing powers, yet it was also said that naughty nymphs hid under peony petals. This is where the Victorians took the symbolism of shamefulness and bashfulness in the Language of flowers.

Inviting the ornate blooms of peonies into your garden or at home with cut flowers is nothing to be bashful of though. Capture the flowers true nature and heal a dull looking room by picking up a bunch of Peonies on special this week at Mainstreet Flower Market in Parker, Colorado.