Chinese Peonies

The Chinese Peony, Paeonia lactifora:

Peonies are divided into two main categories: herbaceous species and varieties, including the Chinese Peony, tuberous perennials, forming a clump that completely disappears in winter, and bush peonies that develop a branching structure, like that of bushes. The Chinese peony, widely planted in our grandmothers' gardens, benefits from remarkable longevity and excellent cold resistance: the older it gets, the more it flowers! Cultivated since the 8th century in China, it embodies feminine beauty and love, and symbolises honours and wealth. It has given birth to numerous cultivars.

The stems of the Chinese peony emerge from the ground in spring, often tinged with red. The leaves are divided into nine leaflets of variable shape depending on the species and varieties. The flowers, sometimes remarkably fragrant, can be single, semi-double, double, cup-shaped or globular. Their size can exceed 20cm (8in) in diameter and their colour ranges from white to almost purple, including all shades of pink and red, the choice is vast! Discover all our Chinese peonies on these pages.