Paeonia suffruticosa Seeds | Peony Tree Pink
LATIN NAME: Paeonia suffruticosa
COMMON NAME: Tree Peony, Moutan Peony
Plant Profile
Among the ornamental and useful plants raised from seed, Tree Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) stands out as a deciduous, woody shrub in the peony family, native to hills of China, while it is grown for its magnificent flowers. Tree peony is king of flowers of the East, and its huge, silken blooms have been treasured in gardens of China for a thousand years and more. At maturity it stands about Two metres. Not many plants ask so little and repay so much.
Science & Biotechnology
The tree peony’s root bark (mu dan pi) is the medicinal part, quality-controlled in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia through paeonol and the monoterpene glycoside paeoniflorin shared with herbaceous peony. Paeonol shows anti-inflammatory, analgesic and neuroprotective activity in laboratory models, including inhibition of NF-kB signalling, which underwrites the bark’s classical use for ‘clearing heat and cooling the blood’. Gardeners know the same plant for its huge spring blooms; Chinese drug gardens have harvested the roots of four- to five-year-old plants for centuries, so beauty and pharmacy are not mutually exclusive here.
Within the peony family, Paeonia suffruticosa is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. Tree peony has a distinguished and modern record in both horticultural and pharmaceutical research. A long cultivation history means growers know what to expect from it.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Tree Peony for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Ecologically, tree peony is a generous shrub of the garden. Its magnificent flowers feed bees and other pollinators in late spring, and as a cultivated plant it has been treasured in gardens of China for more than a thousand years. For a grower, tree peony is a plant of great beauty and value, and for a gardener it brings king of flowers, a magnificent bloom that has been loved for a thousand years. Once it has settled, the workload drops to almost nothing.
Peony roots, Bai Shao and Chi Shao, are among the most-used herbs in Chinese medicine, nourishing blood and relaxing tension in countless classical formulas; paeoniflorin, the signature compound, is studied for anti-inflammatory and neuromodulatory effects. The flowers remain the garden’s most opulent bloom.
Growing from Seed
Tree Peony is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Growing a tree peony from seed is a patient and very rewarding project. Keep the seedbed evenly moist and give the seedlings time to come up. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
Once established, Tree Peony, Moutan Peony largely looks after itself. Minor errors in timing or watering rarely cost the grower the crop.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Tree Peony often pair it with these related subjects: