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Pink Peonies in bloom
Just as a giggle bubbles up and erupts into peals of laughter, spring flowers begin to sprout and then unfurl their petals in glorious exuberance. Can you feel it? Laughter, happiness, joy — peonies!
Among the most striking flowers of spring and early summer, peonies are a beautiful, old-fashioned perennial that have been beloved in American gardens since Victorian times. With their delicate fragrance and showy blooms, peonies are a favored choice for bridal bouquets and Mother’s Day arrangements. They also carry an abundant dose of symbolism. Peonies are known to represent romance and love and are considered a good omen for a happy marriage — they are the traditional flower of twelfth wedding anniversaries. In China and Japan, peonies stand for strong and positive virtues such as bravery, honor, respect, nobility, good fortune and prosperity.
Peonies are native to Asia, Europe and Western North America. Members of the Tang Dynasty of China began breeding peonies in the imperial courts in the seventh century BCE. Their popularity spread to Japan in the early eleventh century and to France and England in the eighteenth century. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, peonies began gaining popularity in America as well.
Their name is rooted in Greek mythology. The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), who was a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. One version of the peony story says that Paeon, known as the healer of the gods, used a peony to treat a wound for Zeus. When Asclepius became murderously jealous of his pupil, Zeus saved Paeon by turning him into a peony flower.
Many ancient Greeks believed that the flower itself was created by the moon goddess, Selene, frequently depicted wearing a crescent moon on her crown. It was thought that she created peonies to reflect the glow of the moon’s beams onto Earth for protection. Growing peonies was considered to ward off evil spirits and offer protection to gardeners.
Studies have shown that peony plants can boost the immune system and enhance mood, as well as treat inflammation, blood clots and general pain. The roots and seeds of peonies have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries to treat headaches, asthma, convulsions, liver disease and several other ailments. They have been used in European herbal medicine as a remedy for bladder and kidney problems. Although the flower’s petals are edible and deliciously fragrant, they can cause gastrointestinal upset for both people and animals when consumed in large quantities, so be cautious when indulging a penchant for edible, medicinal flowers.
There are more than 6,500 varieties of peonies, with new cultivars being introduced every year. They fit into three main categories: tree, herbaceous, and itoh (which is a cross between the other two). Most varieties are happiest in full sun, but some tree peonies do best in part shade. Peonies usually bloom from late spring to early summer, with early, midseason and late-blooming varieties enabling gardeners to extend the flower show.
In many ways, peony blooms are reminiscent of roses, with a single or double layer of perfumed, ruffled petals, yet they often sport blooms which can span up to eight inches across — sometimes larger than a cabbage. They are seen in every color from white to yellow to coral and deep red, and even variegations of multiple colors — but never blue (that’s for hydrangeas). Peony bushes, with their handsome glossy green leaves, can reach up to three feet in height and four feet in width, so gardeners must plan accordingly. They can make lovely sentinels lining walkways all summer long.
Peonies are perennials that reliably come back every year to grace the garden. Unlike most perennials, they don’t need to be dug up and divided. They are very hardy, and deer resistant. They like full sun and bloom best in a spot that gets six to eight hours of light each day, although they can manage with half a day’s sunlight. If possible, provide shelter from strong winds and rain, because their large blooms can make them top heavy and prone to bowing to the ground under the weight of their full blossoms. Consider three-legged metal rings or wire tomato cages that allow the plant to grow through the center of the support.
Plant peonies in deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist soil that drains well. They can be sold as bare-root tubers with three to five eyes, or buds. Space them three to four feet apart to allow for good air circulation between plants. Young peonies take some patience to establish. Like our children, they can take three to four years to establish roots, bloom and grow in profusion, but, you can buy mature plants (of course, more expensive) for a faster return on your effort. One of the most inspiring features of peonies is that the plants can live and grow for more than a century, certainly outliving most of their caretakers, which makes them a lovely gift from one generation to another, reminding us of our parents’ and grandparents’ beautiful gardens.
When planting bare-root peonies, make sure that the root is buried no deeper than two inches. If you plant a mature peony, cover it no deeper than it grew in the nursery pot. Peonies like a good chill in the winter. In order to set their flower buds, their roots should be relatively close to the soil surface. They need this chilling to attain dormancy and achieve buds. Plant peonies in the fall — late September and October in most of the U.S., and even later in zones 7 and 8 (Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina).
Peonies make excellent cut flowers and can last more than a week in a vase. For best results, cut long stems in the morning when flowers are fresh and buds are still fairly tight. To enjoy their flowers long after their natural blooming season, you can wrap freshly cut peony stems in damp paper towels and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to three months. When you are ready to use them, give the stems a fresh cut and place them in lukewarm water to wake them up.
Many gardeners are troubled by the number of ants that crawl all over peony buds. Do not worry. The ants are simply eating the peony’s nectar and attacking bud-eating pests. Ants are attracted to the sugary droplets on the outside of flower buds or to the honeydew produced by scale insects and aphids. The ants will wash off in the sink and will rarely colonize the kitchen because of cut peonies. Never spray the ants on the buds, it might harm the flowers, and the ants are actually helping the blossoms flourish.
The Netherlands is the largest cut-peony producer, representing more than 40 percent of the estimated total worldwide production. A surprising, emerging source of peonies is Alaska. The longer, cooler growing season there allows for larger blooms later in the growing season, which means they are available during prime wedding season from June to September. The most commonly grown variety is “Sarah Bernhardt,” which has soft pink, petal-packed double blooms and is one of the few varieties that florists will request by name.
There is a majesty and simplicity to the beauty of a peony in full bloom that we want to admire, breath in and enjoy. Famous artists from Vincent Van Gogh to Pierre-August Renoir were inspired to capture their beauty in some of the world’s most priceless masterpieces. Edouard Manet, another impressionist, painted his own peony bouquet in 1864, and Renoir’s peonies were painted around 1880. Van Gogh created at least two in 1886 and possibly another around 1889-90. Van Gogh’s last peony painting was the subject of great controversy regarding a hair found under the paint and DNA testing to prove its authenticity (it is still not officially confirmed as original). Aside from peonies being a favored flower in Europe at the time, it’s clear that each iconic artist saw something inspiring in this famed flower.
Seeing a plump bouquet of peonies in person shows us exactly what these world-famous painters found so enchanting. As the spring season emerges, we watch as the Earth laughs in peonies, and we bask in the joy.