Chinese Peony

• Plant Type: Perennial herb.
• Common Names: Chinese Peony, Chinese Herbaceous Peony, Common Garden Peony.
• Color: White, pink, crimson.
• Flower Dimensions: 3-6 inches in diameter.
• Flowering Season: Late spring.

Paeonia lactiflora is a flowering plant that can grow 20-28 inches tall. The Chinese Peony is a perennial herb of the family Paeoniaceae.

• The leaves of the Chinese Peonies are attractive, glossy, and elliptical. They are green and turn orange during fall.
• The Chinese Peony flowers are large, showy, fragrant, and round. The flowers are cup or bowl-shaped. The petals are white, pink, or crimson.
• The flowers of the Chinese Peony are solitary and have 7-20 petals per ray.
• The fruit of the Chinese Peony is a follicle that splits during maturity.
• All parts of the plant, when eaten, can cause stomach discomfort. In addition, Chinese Peony is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

Where can Chinese Peony be mostly spotted?

Asia

• The Chinese Peony^[1] is considered a women’s herb and is mostly used as a tonic by Chinese women. In Chinese herbal medicine, P. lactiflora^[2] treats hormonal conditions in men and women. The Chinese Peony is also used to treat PCOS, premenstrual syndrome, cramps, and epilepsy.
• Paeonia lactiflora is called “Bai Shao Yao” and has many medicinal uses. In addition, research^[3] showed that the Chinese Peony is an effective anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory.
• The Chinese name of the Paeonia lactiflora is “sho yu” meaning “most beautiful“. The roots of the P. lactiflora^[4] are a vital Chinese medicine, Shaoyao. For more than 1000 years, Shaoyao has been used to treat diseases.
• Peony is named after Paeon, the Greek god of medicine and healing. It was said that he cured Pluto and other injured Greek gods during the Trojan War.
• A study^[5] showed that Paeonia lactiflora root extract and paeoniflorin have the potential for skin-depigmenting. Therefore, the root extracts of P. lactiflora with paeoniflorin are promising in cosmetic or dermatological applications.