Peonies, scientifically named Paeoniaceae, are a whole family of plants with origin in Europe, North America and China and their surroundings. The species of wild peonies, which are 3, can be found in the Iberian Peninsula and in the Maghreb. One of its legends tells that this plant is named after Paeon, a medicine apprentice of the god Asclepius, who came to provoke the envy of his master for having more talent than him and was transformed by Zeus into the flower that receives his name.
It is also a plant that has traditionally been used for its medicinal properties, especially in the treatment of menstrual pain in women, and to alleviate asthma symptoms. If you want to know how to care for peonies at home and their meaning, keep reading us in this Green Ecologist article.
Before you start sow peony seeds, it is important to choose well both a good location and the right season. The best time to plant peonies is in fall, or even winter if you live in a climate that is not too cold. The species of peony that you are going to plant also influences: the arboreal ones are best planted in the autumn months, while some bushy ones respond better to a planting in spring.
Once chosen, follow these Steps to Sowing and Planting Peonies:
These are the basic peonies care:
As we have indicated before, you need at least eight hours of sunlight a day, but we recommend that you do not give direct light in the strongest hours of sun, a semi-shady area will be better at least in the central hours of the day, which is when the sun is more powerful.
One detail that you must bear in mind is that this plant is very demanding in terms of soil nutrients, so you must plant them in areas where there have not been other plants with similar characteristics, or enrich it with organic fertilizer. In the same way, the subscriber must be done twice a year later, in autumn and spring. Fertilizing it in excess will harm the flowering of the peony.
It is also important that the soil has good drainage, so that it does not stagnate when you water. The peony needs a good level of humidity, but an excess of it with waterlogging in its roots will be very harmful to the plant and even fatal.
For watering, it is sufficient to once a week during winter and cold months, and twice a week from spring.
In closing, remember that the flowers and fruits of the peony are toxic, and should be kept away from children and pets.
There is a huge variety of peonies, and all of them are attributed different meanings that depend on the area. In Asia, it is a symbol of beauty and good luck, being something similar to the oriental equivalent of the rose. For example, in some of these Asian countries this is the meaning of peonies:
In addition, in the art of feng shui it is used to bring peace to the spirit and calm love sickness.
In the West, on the other hand, the peony is related to shame and shyness traditionally associated in ancient times and in some cultures with female beauty. The Greeks, in fact, had a myth that nymphs, to hide from the gazes of men, ran naked behind bushes of peonies.
The meaning of peonies according to the color of their flower is also variable:
If you want to read more articles similar to Peonies: how to care for them and their meaning, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.