Paeonia Lactiflora Seeds Chinese Garden Peony

LATIN NAME: PAEONIA LACTIFLORA

COMMON NAME: Chinese Garden Peony

The Chinese garden peony bowls the rounded clumps of the bold, deeply lobed, dark-green leaves and the large, bowl-shaped, rose-pink flowers with the many ruffled petals that open through the late spring, each bloom carrying the soft, rich colour and the gentle fragrance. The flowers open wide in the sun, and they keep the colour for days. The plant grows into the sturdy, long-lived clumps, and it stands the cold well. It likes the sun, and the deep, rich, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the peony family, the Chinese garden peony holds a long, honoured record in the studies of the hardy border perennials, and the species appears in the research on the flower pigments and the thick-root growth. The horticulturists value the bold, fragrant bloom, while the pharmacologists note the root preparations. The seed biology fills out the picture, and the breeders of the garden peonies keep the species in their programmes.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the sunny border, the Chinese garden peony bowls the pink petals every spring. The large, ruffled flowers keep the colour for days, the roots have served the traditional preparations for the ages, and the sturdy clumps keep their place for the decades. It thrives in the deep, rich, well-drained, sunny ground. Bold, fragrant and long-lived.

To grow the Chinese Garden Peony from seed,

Press the seeds into the gritty, moist rows of the cold frame, then cover them lightly, keep the frame in the cool, bright spot and water gently

Keep the frame cool and gently watered, and leave the seedlings undisturbed. The first flowers come in the second season.

. The seedlings thread up within a few weeks, and they grow on slowly. Plant the young plants in the deep, rich, well-drained ground, and the pink bowls will bowl the late spring over the years.

The Chinese have used Paeonia for thousands of years. Uses include abdominal pain, menstrual pain and excessive bleeding, night sweats and yin deficiency. It is said to also calm the energy of the liver.

Peony is said to be anodyne, diuretic and carmative. It has special action upon the speen, liver, stomach and intestines and is prescribed in nosebleed, wounds and other hemorrhages.

For abdominal and menstrual pain, boil 25g (about 1oz) of finely chopped root in 0.5 litre (about 1 pint) of water, for 2 – 3 minutes, and allow to brew. Or simply add the same amount of root (not chopped) to a stew, casserole or similar main course.