Tree Peony. The Beginning Of The Way

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Peonies are one of the most decorative, long-loved flower cultures. Growing in one place for decades, it increases the volume of the bush, striking in the brightness of colors and aroma. First, let's get acquainted with some of the features of an unusual flower

Growing benefits

The tree peony has a number of positive qualities:

1. A huge variety of forms (densely double, semi-double, simple inflorescences).

2. Amazingly bright colors of petals.

3. Unique aroma.

4. Long flowering period.

5. Resistance to shattering in the cut.

6. Long-term growth in one place without deterioration in the quality of the buds.

7. Diverse application in landscape compositions.

8. Relative resistance to freezing.

9. Seedlings perfectly adapt to different climatic conditions.

Thanks to these merits, tree-like options are very popular with gardeners. Every year the number of lovers of these flowers is increasing.

A bit of history

There is an ancient Roman legend about the origin of the name of the flower. The skillful healer Peon (a disciple of Aesculapius) cured the god Pluto from the wounds he received during the battle with Hercules. Aesculapius, out of envy, decided to poison his student. But the gods saved him, turning him into a beautiful flower. Originally the name "peon" was used. Only many years later it was transformed into the usual for us - "peony".

China is considered the birthplace of the plant. In the wild, they grow in the mountains at an altitude of 3-4 km above sea level. They are found in thickets of bushes, along the edges of deciduous forests.

In the 7th century, monks from China brought an unusual flower to Japan. The elite plant was grown in the gardens of wealthy people, on the territory of monasteries.

In the middle of the 19th century, culture migrated to England, then to America. The peony came to Russia from the Baltic States in 1858. Originally grown in greenhouses as a pot plant. At the end of the 19th century, the tree peony was transferred to the open ground of the park of the Botanical Institute in St. Petersburg.

Biological features

Peonies are subdivided into:

• herbaceous;

• tree (shrub);

• semi-shrub.

In the herbaceous form, the aboveground part dies off in autumn, the rhizome with the remains of stems hibernates in the ground. From the adventitious buds of renewal, new flowering shoots grow in the spring.

Semi-shrubs have a lignified lower part, herbaceous top. The degree of lignification depends on the place of growth, climatic conditions of cultivation. In the Middle Lane, part of the stem freezes. It recovers easily with the onset of spring.

In a tree-like peony, stems with buds are preserved all year round. The bushes are discarded for the winter. Blooms annually. With each new season, increasing the number of shoots, turning into a lush bush. Partially old stems die off, being replaced by new ones.

The root system consists of submerged in the soil:

• fusiform elongated rhizome;

• thickened roots;

• root tubers;

• sucking young roots.

Stems are strong, erect, 3 cm in diameter, from 0.5 to 2 meters in height with dark brown bark. New increments of the green hue. Leaves are 20-25cm long, triple-, double-pinnate, segments are elongated, sessile or petiolate.

At the end of each shoot, single buds more than 20 cm in diameter are formed: double, semi-double, simple. Colors of white, pink-red or mixed shades. With the obligatory dark magenta spot at the point of attachment of the petal. The aroma is strong, delicate. Multiple stamens with yellow anthers adorn the middle.

Dates of blooming of buds end of May - beginning of June. Duration 2-2.5 weeks. One bush at the age of 7-10 years gives up to 70 bright inflorescences.

The seeds ripen at the end of August. The fruits are cracked. The grains are large, dark brown.

We will get acquainted with the varieties of the tree peony in the next article.