What season does the peony bloom?
For many girls, let's take a look at the content of the blooming season of peonies and sharing the characteristics of green plants and flower cultivation!
In 2019, the China Flower Association launched the "Vote: The Flower in My Heart" voting event, with peonies leading with 79.71% of the votes. Peony is a unique woody and precious flower in China, known as "the color of the nation" and "the king of flowers."
Has the peony, which has been loved by the Chinese people since ancient times, any unique advantages in competing for the title of "national flower"?
Peony in a glimpse
The peony, also known as Moutan, Luoyang flower, and a hundred taels of gold, belongs to the Paeonia section of the Paeoniaceae family and is a perennial deciduous shrub. It blooms at the beginning of April every year with a flowering period of 4 to 6 months. Peonies prefer warm and sunny conditions, are drought and cold resistant, and are distributed throughout most parts of the country. Currently, there are more than 300 varieties of peonies in China, and more than 100 varieties have been cultivated in Japan and Western countries.
The cultivation history of peonies is long and rich. The Book of Songs mentions: "Only the scholars and girls, they joke with each other, and present peonies as gifts." This indicates that people might have been cultivating peonies since the Pre-Qin period. The Eastern Han medical classic "Shennong Bencao Jing" recorded peonies as a medicinal herb. In the famous work "Rhapsody on the Luo River Goddess" by the Eastern Jin painter Gu Kaizhi, peonies growing by the banks of the Luo River were depicted. The Northern Qi court painter Yang Zihua had a painting of peonies, which provided evidence for the artificial cultivation of peonies.
During the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang opened the West Garden and "Yizhou presented 24-phase peonies" to decorate the garden. A series of evidence shows that the cultivation of peonies has gone through a process from wild to artificial and from folk to court. However, to truly understand peonies, one needs to start from four aspects: color, taste, shape, and rhythm, to experience the charm of the "national flower."
Color: A Visual Feast
The color of peonies attracts people's attention appropriately. During the Sui Dynasty, peonies only had red and yellow colors, but by the Tang Dynasty, the colors became more diverse. The "Biography of Concubine Yang" states: "During the Kaiyuan period, the palace first cherished Moutan, which is now known as peony. It obtained several plants with red, purple, light red, and white colors, which were transplanted to the front of Xingqing Pond's Agarwood Pavilion." In the "Luoyang Peony Records" and "Luoyang Flower and Tree Records" by Zhou Shihou of the Northern Song Dynasty, there were 109 colors of peonies. In the "Tianpeng Peony Spectrum" by the Southern Song poet Lu You, there were 65 varieties of peonies in Chengdu at the time. In the "Peony History" by the Ming Dynasty litterateur Xue Fengxiang, there were as many as 274 varieties of peonies recorded.
The rapid increase in peony colors is due to seed breeding technology. Lu You's "Tianpeng Peony Spectrum" states: "Planting various flowers to observe their changes." This reveals the skill of the Southern Song gardeners in cultivating new peony varieties through gene mutation. By the Ming Dynasty, the gardener Xia Zichen pointed out: "The ones with different species have sudden changes in their seeds, and the ones with many species have taken shortcuts in cultivation." This indicates the use of gene mutation and grafting methods to cultivate new peony varieties.
Modern scholar Ma Weidu summarizes Chinese aesthetics into four levels, from low to high, vulgarity, reserve, coquettishness, and decadence. With human intervention, new peony varieties have emerged one after another, catering to people's curiosity and reaching the highest level of aesthetic interest, thus promoting the healthy development of peony's "national color."
Image: Qing Dynasty Lang Shining's sketch, Qing court fine brush花鸟 painting "Xian'e Changchun Tu Zhi牡丹"
Taste: A Gathering of Sensations
The "taste" of peonies is a collection of multiple sensations. The Tang Dynasty poet Pi Rixiu sang of the fragrance of peonies: "Competing for the world's unparalleled beauty, standing alone as the first fragrance among people." The poem highlights the color and fragrance of peonies. Scientific research shows that the fragrance of peonies comes from aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives in the petals, which, together with alcohols, alkanes, esters, ketones, and other substances, create a rich aroma, achieving the专利 of the olfactory sense.
In addition, the "taste" of peonies has much to offer. The agronomist Wang Xiangjin of the Ming Dynasty recorded in "Guang Fang Qunpu" that Li Hao, the Minister of Rites of the Later Shu, often sent friends branches of peonies and Xingping suyou, instructing them: "When the flowers fade, fry them with suyou, and do not waste their rich beauty." This was the first time peonies were eaten. When Lin Hong of the Southern Song Dynasty wrote "Mountain Home Clear Food," he listed "peony lettuce" as one of the 16 flower dishes. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the folk in Jinhua, Zhejiang, made peony cakes and exchanged them as gifts. Later, people used methods such as "frying with suyou," "wrapping with dough," "soaking in honey," and "squeezing juice" to eat peonies.
The "Shennong Bencao Jing" believes that peonies have the effect of "removing symptoms and blood stasis, and calming the five internal organs." In "Hua Tuo's Secret Medical Recipes," there are as many as 22 recipes related to peonies. The "Danpi" made from the roots of peonies is one of the main ingredients in the "Liuwei Dihuang Pill," and peony essential oil made from petals has the value of beauty, health care, and medicine. The peony, integrating olfactory and taste sensations, creates a strong atmosphere of "heavenly fragrance."
Image: Jin Dynasty anonymous "Peony Lake Stone Painting"花鸟 painting vertical axis
Shape: A Symbol of Wealth and Honor
In addition to distinguishing colors and smelling fragrances, people also appreciate the shape of peony flowers. There are 10 types, including single-petal, lotus, chrysanthemum, and rose. The "Peony Spectrum" states: "Yi Chi Hong has a deep red color close to purple, with a flower face of over a foot, hence the name Yi Chi." Converted to modern length, the diameter of peonies in the Song Dynasty exceeded 20 centimeters. The large and beautiful flower shape attracts attention, and the famous Confucianist Zhou Dunyi of the Northern Song Dynasty frankly stated in "Love of Lotus": "Peony, the wealthy flower among flowers."
In folk culture, peonies have a subtle influence on life. The book "Chinese Auspicious Symbols" records 286 types of auspicious symbols, 20 of which are related to peonies. Peony patterns can be used alone or combined with other animals and plants to get a "good omen." For example, peonies with cats and butterflies symbolize "wealth and longevity," and peonies combined with lotus flowers symbolize "continuous wealth." During folk weddings, peonies, pomegranates, and bats are commonly seen, hoping for "wealthy and many children." These patterns are widely used in clothing, porcelain, windows, and other daily necessities. The peony symbolizes wealth and adds luster to the title of "national flower."
What season does the peony bloom?
Image: Ming Dynasty Tang Yin's "Peony Painting"花鸟 painting vertical axis
Rhythm: Cultural Heritage
To be elected as the "national flower," cultural heritage is indispensable. The Tang and Song dynasties were the flourishing periods of peony culture. The "400 Poems on Peonies of Successive Dynasties" contains 125 poems from the Tang and Five Dynasties and 167 from the Song Dynasty, a large number that shows the admiration of the literati for peonies during the Tang and Song dynasties. The most famous poem about peonies is "Appreciating Peonies" by the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi, which states: "The peony in front of the courtyard isUnruly, the lotus in the pool is too clean and lacks emotion. Only the peony is truly the color of the nation, and when it blooms, it moves the capital." The poet uses peonies and lotus flowers to set off the simple and elegant nature of peonies.
When Ouyang Xiu, a literary giant of the Northern Song Dynasty, was a government official in Luoyang, he found that "the custom of Luoyang is to love flowers, in spring, everyone in the city wears flowers. When the flowers bloom, scholars and commoners alike go for excursions." Wearing peonies in spring has become a folk custom. This custom continued into the Ming Dynasty, and gardeners used big moves to make more money. The naturalist Xie Zhaozhe recorded in "Wu Za Zu": "The court often presents flowers in season, but they are all stored in cellars and surrounded by fire to force them to bloom, even in winter there are peony flowers, which require a lot of effort, worth tens of gold per plant."
Image: Qing Dynasty Yu Ze's sketch, Qing court fine brush花鸟 painting "Peony"
By the Qing Dynasty, Fu Cha Dun崇 described in "Records of the Yanjing Year": "In the capital, peonies, plum blossoms, red peaches, and primroses are sold in December, all stored in warm rooms and forced to bloom with fire." The cultivation of flowers in warm rooms not only increased the variety of winter flowers but also continues to this day. Peonies are deeply rooted in folk culture, and legends such as "Emperor Wu Demoting Peonies" are widely circulated. Peonies have broken free from material constraints and upgraded to cultural connotations, making people strive for them tirelessly.
In fact, from ancient times to the present, peonies have dominated the flower world. The Tang Dynasty poet Xu Yi praised it: "The first among tens of thousands of flowers, slightly dyed with light red and tender silver." In the past few decades, there have been several national flower elections, and peonies have ranked first except for once. In the 8th century, peonies landed in Japan, and after the 17th century, they were introduced to European and American countries, where they were also loved by people from all countries. Peonies are qualified to compete for the "national flower," which is a refinement of traditional culture and a yearning for a better life.
Have you understood the introduction of the blooming season of peonies and sharing the characteristics of peony flowers provided by the above (Green Plant Enthusiast Network)?