Peonies have a rich history in China, Japan, Europe and North America. In North America they have been grown mostly as a decorative plant but in China, Japan and Europe they have also been used for medicinal purposes. They are also widely used in art and design work
Plants come in rootstock, as potted plants and as trees. They have many colors but red, pink and white are still the popular colors.
Tips for Peony care
- It can take up to three growing seasons for a peony to reach maturity. Proper planting will help the peony to bloom quicker
- You can keep the flowers from flopping over by placing a special round peony stake over the foliage. A tomato cage will also work. As the plant grows in the spring and summer you do not see the cage
- If you want bigger blooms cut off all of the buds, except for the one on the tip. This will mean you have fewer flowers overall.
- Don’t worry if you see ants crawling on your peonies. Ants are attracted to a sticky, sweet liquid on the buds and will not harm your plants. I do check carefully for ants before I bring the plants into the house.
Add a peony to your garden. It will quickly become one of your favorite plants. Check this article for instructions on how to plant peonies: http://thegardenersrake.com/how-to-plant-and-care-for-a-peony-plant
This link will take you to the history of the peony plant: http://www.paeonia.com/html/peonies/history.htm
Tags: Peony plant history, peony medicinal use, peony plant old fashioned favorite