Peony Science Popularization How to Appreciate the Beauty of Peonies?

Who doesn't love peony flowers? They dominate the city's beauty. They are probably the work of the goddess of Luochuan, whose charming and graceful forms break the morning glow (Tang Dynasty, Xu Ning). Peony, also known as Luoyang flower, rich flower, and Guyu flower, is elegant and magnificent, with a beautiful and fragrant appearance. It is known as the king of flowers and the king of flowers. When you are surrounded by peony flowers, you will sincerely admire: Wow, it's so beautiful, bigger than a baby's face, so majestic, so delicate, so rich.
So, how do we appreciate the beauty of peony? Four aspects: color, fragrance, posture and charm.
1. Peony Color
The Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi praised the peony, "Only the peony is the true national beauty, and the capital city is moved when it blooms."
Peonies have rich colors, including nine colors: white, pink, red, purple, green, blue, yellow, black and complex colors.
For example: white "Xueta", "Xiangyu", "Jingyu". Pink "Zhaofen", "Xueyingtaohua", "Yinhongqiaodui". Red "Huhong", "Luoyanghong", "Neon Huancai", "Huawang". Purple "Wulongpengsheng", "Shou'anhong", "Gejinzi". Green "Chunliu", "Doulv", "Lvmuyinyu". Blue "Lantianyu", "Blue Hibiscus", "Blue Moon". Yellow "Yaohuang", "Haihuang", "Jindao". Black "Black Panther", "Crown of the World Moyu", "Black Huakui". Complex colors "Erqiao", "Daojin", "Zilankui".

White peony is pure and clean, pink peony is delicate and fresh, red peony is gorgeous, purple peony is graceful, green peony is rare and charming, blue peony is extraordinary, yellow peony is luxurious and elegant, black peony is dignified and beautiful, and multi-colored peony is colorful. Different peony varieties, the same peony variety in different years and different cultivation conditions, will show different colors. The same color can also change in depth. The purple-spotted peony has obvious large spots at the base of the petals, which is very distinctive. Some peony pistils have green, yellow, and white petals that dance in the center of the flower, which is amazing.

2. Peony Fragrance
The late Tang poet Pi Rixiu praised the peony: "It is unparalleled in the world in its beauty and the most fragrant in the world."
The peony has a rich fragrance. The ancients used "heavenly fragrance", "national fragrance", "exotic fragrance", "crazy fragrance", "cold fragrance", "sweet fragrance", "hidden fragrance" and "the first fragrance" to praise the peony.
The volatile oil of peony contains rich natural fragrance substances. When the flowers bloom, the whole city is filled with fragrance. Li Zhengfeng, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, described peony as "national beauty in the morning, heavenly fragrance in the evening", and since then "national beauty and heavenly fragrance" has become synonymous with peony.
In recent years, peony tea, whole flower tea, stamen tea, peony cake, peony oil, peony wine, peony beverage and peony cosmetics processed from peony flowers exude the unique natural fragrance of peony.

3. Peony Flower Posture
Bai Juyi, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, praised the peony: "Its graceful shape, noble color and uniqueness are unmatched among all other flowers."
Peonies are enchanting and charming. The flowers that grow straight up are passionate and unrestrained, the flowers that open sideways are charming and touching, and the flowers that droop down are shy and lovely. Peonies in early spring are proud of the wind and snow, peonies in spring are stunningly beautiful, and peonies in winter are strong and unyielding. Young peonies are full of vitality, adult peonies are charming with a smile, and century-old peonies are elegant and vigorous. Peonies on sunny days are bright and colorful, peonies in fog and rain are beauties emerging from their baths, peonies under dewdrops are delicate and graceful, and peonies blown by the wind dance and sway. Peonies in the morning are drunken and hazy, and peonies on moonlit nights are fragrant. They are noble and sentimental when they are in bud, and lose their color when they bloom, and the emperor is distressed when they fall.
From the perspective of appreciating peonies, Europeans and Americans generally like lotus, chrysanthemum, and rose-shaped peonies with exposed hearts, which symbolize "unrestrained and passionate". Chinese generally like crown, hydrangea, and pavilion-shaped peonies, which symbolize "reaching a higher level".
Peony flower types can be simply described as single-petal flowers, double-petal flowers, and chamomile flowers, which can be further divided into ten types of flower types.
Single petal type: 1 to 3 rounds of petals, broad and flat. For example: 'Feng Dan Bai', 'Pan Zhong Qu Guo', 'Pond Xiao Yue'.
Golden core type: 2-3 rounds of outer petals, stamen anthers are significantly enlarged, and filaments become thicker. This flower type is rare, for example: 'Rose Red Golden Core' and 'Pink Pool Reflecting the Moon'.

Lotus type: 4-5 rounds of petals, which are slightly inward when open, resembling a lotus. For example: 'Black Sea Sprinkles Gold', 'Cinnabar', 'Like Lotus'.
Chrysanthemum type: more than 6 petals, fewer stamens, and normal pistils. For example: 'Rou Furong', 'Moon Palace Candlelight', 'Spring Red Jiaoyan'.
Rose type: petals are increased in height, stamens are almost gone, pistils are normal or slightly petalized. For example: 'Luoyang Red', 'Er Qiao', 'Yinhong Qiaodui', 'Xue Ying Taohua'.
The osmanthus-supporting type: There are 2 to 3 rounds of outer petals, which are wide and flat. The stamen petals are broken into small petals, and the whole flower looks like a plate filled with osmanthus. Some peonies have a circle of stamens between the inner and outer petals, like a golden belt tied around the waist, which is called the golden ring type. For example: "Blue Dragon Lying in the Ink Pond", "Red Lotus Full of Pond", "Purple Supporting Osmanthus", "Lady's Clothing".
Crown type: The outer petals are wide and flat; all stamens are petalized, the pistils are petalized, there are hundreds of petals, and the whole flower is tall and shaped like a crown. For example: 'Laojun Purple', 'Loulan Beauty', 'Shou'an Red', 'Shanhutai', 'Huhong'.
Hydrangea type: All stamens are highly petalized, the pistils are also petalized, the inner and outer petals are not clearly distinguished, there are hundreds of petals, and the whole flower is shaped like a hydrangea. For example: 'Green Fragrance Ball', 'Green Curtain Hidden Jade', 'Spring Willow', 'Late Blue'.
Pavilion type: The whole flower is composed of two or more flowers stacked up and down, with the flowers on the top towering. According to the degree of petalization of the flowers below, it can be subdivided into thousand-layer pavilion type and tower pavilion type. For example: "Luodu Chunyan", "Guifei Chacui", "Neon Huancai", "Yulou Diancui", "Lvfeihongshou", "Lan Furong", "Juanyehong", "Liyuanchun".
Some varieties can produce a variety of flower shapes on the same plant, such as: 'Bai Yu Hong Xia', 'Zhao Fen', 'Xue Ta', 'Gong Yang Zhuang', 'Xiang Yu', 'Zi Lan Kui', which can be described as "multi-flower types".

4. Peony Flower Charm　　
Wu Cheng, a poet in the Yuan Dynasty, praised the peony flower as "enchanting in the wind and under the moon, a most precious flower from heaven on earth."
Peony has a noble aura and beautiful meaning. It is a symbol of wealth, prosperity, peace and happiness.
Peony is the flower of love. The peony mentioned in the "Book of Songs·Zhinwei" is the peony flower. "Book of Songs·Zhinwei" records the customs of the ancient Zheng State (now Xinzheng, Henan). On the third day of the third lunar month, young men and women gave each other peony herbs to ward off bad luck and express their love.
Peony is a flower of beauty. Li Bai, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty, was the first to praise famous flowers and beauties, and compared the peony to Yang Yuhuan. Since then, peony and beauty have become an important part of peony literature. Yang Guifei is elegant and graceful, Zhao Feiyan is stunningly beautiful, the goddess of Luo River is as graceful as a startled swan, Yang Fei drinks from a golden cup, Lu Zhu falls from a jade tower, Chang'e flies to the moon palace, Xi Shi washes silk, Zhaojun goes to the frontier, and Diao Chan worships the moon. Which is more beautiful, the peony or the beauty?
Peony is a flower of wealth and honor. Since the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, paintings and poems have mostly used peony flowers to represent wealth and honor. Zhou Dunyi, a writer in the Song Dynasty, said, "Peony is the flower of wealth and honor." Since then, "flower of wealth and honor" has been deeply rooted in people's hearts. In the Song Dynasty, Luoyang peony was listed as one of the "Nine Blessings in the World." Li Xiaoguang, a poet in the Yuan Dynasty, praised peony flowers, "Wealth and honor are unparalleled, and all flowers bow their heads to pay homage to their fragrance."

Peony is a noble flower. For thousands of years, the status of peony as the "king of flowers" has never been shaken. People have endowed peony with the qualities of being strong-willed, fearless of power, not extravagant in the face of wealth, tenacious, daring to make sacrifices, and modest. The "Peony Song" written by Qiao Yu, composed by Lü Yuan and Tang He, and sung by Jiang Dawei has become popular all over the country.
Peony is the national flower. In the Tang Dynasty, peony was already the national flower, and was evaluated as "national beauty and natural fragrance" and "king of flowers". Since the Southern Song Dynasty, Chinese people have used peony to describe the homeland. In the Ming Dynasty, the National Flower Hall was built in the Jile Temple in Beijing. In the Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi designated peony as the national flower and built a national flower platform. Different regions and ethnic groups have different customs and habits, but they all respect peony. On December 23, 1994, the National Flower Selection Office and the China Flower Association announced the results of the national flower selection: After careful research, the National Flower Selection Leading Group unanimously agreed that peony is the national flower.

5. Learn some peony culture
The birthday of peony is Mid-Autumn Festival. Legend has it that the peony fairy descended to the heavens on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month and scattered peony seeds on Mangshan Mountain in Luoyang. The common people used peony roots to make medicine and drank it, which controlled the spread of plague. People respect Mid-Autumn Festival as the birthday of peony. In fact, the best time to sow, divide and graft peonies is from Mid-Autumn Festival to before frost. Peonies planted in spring often grow poorly or even die. A farmer's proverb says: Peonies planted in spring will die without blooming.
"Wu Zetian demoted peonies" is a legend, not history. In the Tang Dynasty, Shu Yuanyu's "Ode to Peony" records that Wu Zetian transplanted peonies from her hometown in Shanxi to the imperial garden, which shows that Wu Zetian loved peonies very much, proving that Wu Zetian did not demote peonies. In the Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu made a decisive statement: "Since Tang Zetian, Luoyang peonies have flourished." It was not until the Song Dynasty that novels interpreted Wu Zetian demoting peonies to Luoyang. "Wu Zetian demoted peonies" was completely a slander of some "feudal guards" who were dissatisfied with Wu Zetian's enthronement. According to the "Annals of Tang Poetry", Wu Zetian wrote a poem about peonies, ordered peonies to bloom in winter, and used peonies to crush a coup plot.
Peony is the king of flowers, and peony is the flower phase. Peony and peony are sister flowers, with similar flowers and leaves, large and colorful flowers, and a royal demeanor. The difference is that peony is a small shrub with woody branches; peony is an herbaceous plant, and its above-ground part dries up in winter. Peony roots can be used to graft peonies. Horticulturists have also used distant hybridization of peonies and peonies to cultivate a series of hybrid varieties, collectively known as Ito peonies. Yaohuang is the king of flowers, and Weihua is the queen of flowers. This is a comment from the Song Dynasty, and later generations often use "Yao Wei" to refer to peonies.
Other famous varieties of peonies include Zhaofen, Doulv, Erqiao, Luoyanghong, Gejin, Baixueta, Lantianyu, and Heihuakui.

There are about 2,000 cultivated varieties of peonies in the world, and there are more than 1,400 in Luoyang, including Chinese peonies, Japanese peonies, American peonies, and French peonies.

The naming of peonies is very artistic and interesting. Some names reflect the color and fragrance of peonies, some names reflect the charm of peonies, some names contain historical allusions and idioms, and some are named after surnames, flower gardens, and place names. When you enjoy the flowers, see if you can find a peony named after your surname. For example, Zhang Fei, Wang Hong, Li Yuanchun, Zhao Fen, Chen Hong, Liu Shige, Yang Guifei, Yao Huang, Wei Zi, Song Bai, Shi Yuanbai, Hu Hong, Lu Fen, Qin Hong, Wu Houhong, Su Jiahong, He Yuanhong, Ning Yuanhong, Lu Shi Fen, Niu Jiahuang, Pengzhou Zi, Hua Mulan, Guan Gonghong, Huang Zhong, Er Qiao, Zuo Zi, Jindao, Zhushahong, Wen Gonghong, Ou Jiabi, Roman Gold, Wanhuasheng.
If you can recite a few peony poems while appreciating peonies, your enjoyment will be doubled.
Li Bai: The clouds look like clothes and the flowers look like beauty; the spring breeze blows against the threshold and the dew on the flowers is thick.
Bai Juyi: The only peerless beauty is Xi Shi, and the only beautiful flower is peony.
Bai Juyi: Flowers bloom and fall for twenty days, and people in the city are all crazy.
Pi Rixiu: After all the petals have fallen, the fragrance begins to bloom, and it is called the king of flowers.
Luo Yin: If she could speak, she would be able to conquer a country; even if she was heartless, she would still be moving.
Ouyang Xiu: The soil in Luoyang is most suitable for flowers, and the peony is the most unique in the world.
Shao Yong: The peony is the best among all flowers, let alone the king among them.
Song Qi: Who is the master of spring? The peony is the leader of all flowers.
Wang Guowei: After seeing all the spring flowers in the world, peony will always be the king of flowers.
Qiao Yu: Ah peony, the most colorful among all flowers; Ah peony, the most spectacular among all the fragrant flowers. Some people say you are rich, but who knows that you have experienced poverty... When the earth is frozen, you are nurturing vitality; when the spring breeze blows, you bring beauty to the world.
In the Song Dynasty, there was a saying that "Luoyang's peonies are the best in the world". In the Ming Dynasty, there was a saying that "Caozhou's peonies are the best in the country". Now, Luoyang is the "Peony Capital of China" and Heze is the "Peony Capital of China". Luoyang peony and Heze peony have their own merits and complement each other. Peonies in Lanzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Dianjiang, Bozhou, Changchun and other places have their own unique advantages, scattered from north to south. Peonies can bloom from late March to mid-May.
The peony is gorgeous and has a graceful appearance. Let us meet together to appreciate the peony flowers!
Note: There are eight varieties of peony pictures in this article: Luoyang Red, Green Curtain Hidden Jade, Neon Brilliant Color, Shou'an Red, Moon Palace Candlelight, Golden Pavilion, Zhao Powder, and Golden Island.
A collection of Yang Liusheng's works
Picking chestnuts
Stay together forever
Searching for mistletoe
Father's Back
Mother's Request
Luoning Peony 'Da Song Purple'
Still remember the aroma of yam in winter
Talking about Peony in the Heavy Snow
Dragon Year: Searching for Dragon Gall in Luoning
Finding winter flowers in the Donghua Valley
I still remember the fragrance of white bars in my childhood
Memories of the Spring Festival - Celebrating the New Year
Memories of the Spring Festival - Ao Boyan
Cloth shoes - thoughts in time
Visiting the Wild Purple Peony in Luoning
Memories of the Lunar New Year: I Celebrated the Lunar New Year in Korea
A Brief Study on the Age of the Ancient Stele of "Two Dreams of Visiting Luoshu"
Old items - Chairman Mao badges collected by my mother
An old object that can talk - my father's old military kettle

Author profile: Yang Liusheng, a native of Xinghua, Luoning County, Henan Province, was born in December 1969. He is a member of the Communist Party of China. He has worked in the Statistics Bureau of Luolong District, Luoyang City and the Agriculture and Rural Bureau of Luolong District. He loves his hometown, peonies, and gardening. He has participated in the editing of books such as "Archives of the National Flower Peony".
Gardening Flower Gardening