Peony is a perennial plant native to Asia, southern Europe and western
North America. Most Peonies are herbaceous plants 0.5–1.5 m tall, but some
are woody shrubs up to 1.5–3 metres tall. Leaves are dark green, deeply
cut into lobes which looks like leaflets. Flowers are large, double, pink
in color, in late spring and early summer. This double pink flower is an
ancient variety, supposedly dating back as far as the 17th century. In the
past, the peonies were often classified in the family Ranunculaceae,
alongside Anemones. The peony is named after Paeon or Paean, a student of
Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous
of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him
into the peony flower. Peony has been cultivated in old monasteries in
China and Japan in medicinal gardens for centuries.
Identification credit: Tabish
Photographed in Mughal Garden, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
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The flower labeled Rose Peony is ...
ntroduced