Peony

Characteristics of Peony

The peony is a flower native from China, widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere of the planet, especially in the mild areas of Europe, North Africa, America and the western part of the Asian regions Equipped with a unique beauty and a remarkable decorative value, the peony is characterized, in addition to the well-known resistance to cold and inclement weather, even for its deciduous leaves, the different shades of color of the petals and large black seeds enclosed in the corolla.

As proof of its charm and its legendary strength, one of the many legends associated with this flower tell that the queen of Cathay one day ordered to all the variety of her floral gardens to bloom at the same time.
Among them, only the Peony didn't obey the order and was therefore confined to the tops of snowy mountains where, however, in spite of everything, it was able to flourish strong and vigorous. And it was at that point that the Queen had to surrender and bow down before such grandeur.

There are two main varieties of peonies: herbaceous, trees or shrubs.

The Herbaceous peonies that include the varieties of Paeonia Suffruticosa and hybrids of Paeonia lutea) observe an horizontal growth to the ground and are supplied with tuberous roots incorporated completely into the ground. For this reason, stand out is the aerial part of the plant, with the leaves that form bushes generally circular in shape, which, in the period of flowering, sprouting colorful blooms. The flowers can be single or double and the rich hues of shades ranging from red to pink and purple, or white or yellow.

The herbaceous peony (to which belong the varieties of Paeonia Lactiflora and Paeonia officinalis) can reach one meter in height and is able to withstand even the coldest winters thanks to the solid roots that, like a tank, enclose reserve substances that it is not possible to draw from the outside.

The herbaceous peony, with its sinuous forms, lends itself well to adorn hedges, flower beds and plant knotty trunk borders tangles form in fact the unmistakable flavor of exotic, suitable to decorate hedgerows, creating backgrounds or to be used as single plants to highlight a particular point of the garden.

The plant can reach impressive dimensions and also reach up to two meters high, especially in the spring when the leaves and flowers are particularly lush. Also in this case the chromatic shades of the corollas are different, with a prevalence of yellow and white. The intersection between the herbaceous peonies and shrubs, especially prevalent in the Eastern world, often gives rise to hybrid specimens with a unique flowering.

Cultivation and care of Peony

To adequately grow Peony, you must first choose the most appropriate soil, which should not be too heavy nor too moisty but it should have a neutral or slightly acid ph. The irrigation will then be sufficient, especially in warm periods but never excessive to avoid damaging slumps. Between watering and the other, also, the ground should be drained thoroughly. The plantation of Peony must take place in the fall to ensure an adequate bloom in the spring and during the graft is advisable to keep a certain distance with any other plants of the substantial root development. The exposure of the Peony can be in the sun if the environment is tempered while if the area is hot is better to choose points in the penumbra and in poorly ventilated areas.

As for the fertilizer, it is preferable to chose the one for flowering plants. Alternatively, you can also use the cow manure with a moisture content not too high. For both tree species and for the herbaceous, during the winter it is advisable to perform pruning, removing gradually faded flowers and removing the stems and upper branches higher in order to prepare the plant to bloom and preventing the excessive growth in longitudinal direction.

The propagation of Peony commonly occurs for sowing but this method typically requires very long times for the complete growth of the plant, even up to two or three years. For this reason, people often prefer the propagation by cuttings or vegetative propagation. The diseases that affect more frequently the Peony are Botrytis, which creates dry patches on the leaves and gray mold on the stems and buds, and Cladosporium which is manifested by patchy round and reddish especially on drums. To prevent both diseases is good to avoid excessive soil moisture while against Botrytis is recommended to periodically run the specific fungicides treatement.

On the market, there are numerous manufacturing nurseries of Peonies that offer different varieties of the most lush and decorative one. Among them, the Vivaio G&G Buffa is notable for the many hybrid species, about one hundred and fifty, from all over the world. Particular attention is devoted to the American hybrids, very vigorous and unusual looking.

Peoniamia, however, is a company specialized in the production of peony cut flowers for floral arrangements for the ceremony and, on request, includes the direct sale of plants. The marketing of bare-root peonies takes place directly in the nursery or by courier from October to January, while in pots is possible throughout the all year.