In this group

Chinese peonyPaeonia lactiflora

This is the main source of familiar herbaceous garden cultivars in the United States, with flowers in late spring to early summer.

common peonyPaeonia officinalis

This European species is also grown in American gardens and has red flowers.

Brown’s peonyPaeonia brownii

This is one of the two peony species native to western North America and grows in parts of the inland West.

California peonyPaeonia californica

This is the other western North American native and occurs in California and northwestern Baja California.

Appearance

Growth form

Most species are herbaceous perennials, but the tree-peony group consists of deciduous shrubs or smaller woody plants.

Flowers

Wild flowers are usually single, while garden selections may be single, semi-double, or double in white, pink, red, or yellow.

How to recognize it

Look for large flowers with many stamens and alternate, divided leaves. Growth form is especially useful: herbaceous peonies disappear above ground in winter, while tree peonies keep woody stems.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• gardens and borders
• open woodland
• mountain slopes

Range

Paeonia is native from southern Europe across temperate Asia and also in western North America. Brown’s peony and California peony are the two species native to western North America.

Preferred conditions

Garden peonies generally do best in climates with a cool winter and in well-drained soil with plenty of sun.

Growing it

Care

Many familiar herbaceous garden peonies are cultivars of Chinese peony (Paeonia lactiflora) or hybrids involving it. Common peony (Paeonia officinalis) is another European species grown in American gardens.

Connected species

Pollinators

• sweat beesLasioglossum

  In northeastern Oregon, Lasioglossum sweat bees are among the main pollen carriers for Brown's peony, Paeonia brownii.

Seed dispersers

• Columbia Plateau pocket mousePerognathus parvus

  This western mouse carries and caches seeds of Brown's peony, and forgotten seeds can sprout in spring.

Name and classification

About the name

Cultivated tree peonies were formerly called Paeonia suffruticosa; Paeonia japonica is an older name for Paeonia obovata japonica.

Group name

“Peony” usually means any member of Paeonia. “Tree peony” refers only to the woody part of the genus, while “herbaceous peony” describes the species whose stems die back each year.

Number of species

Published treatments differ, but the genus is commonly described as having about 33–40 species because some species boundaries remain unsettled.

Culture and stories

Culture and stories

• Peonies are also widely grown as cut flowers.
• The name Paeonia is linked to Paeon, a healer in Greek mythology.