Moutan peony

The moutan peony is a species of tree peony known by the scientific name Paeonia suffruticosa . It is a woody perennial shrub known for its large, beautiful flowers, which range in color from red to white. The peony has spread from its original habitat in China to now be found in gardens across the globe for its hardiness and beauty, as well as its longevity and ability to handle cold weather. Almost every of the plant can also be used in medicine. One such use is to extract heat from the blood.

Body Design
The moutan peony has a woody, grey-brown stem and reaches 4 to 10 feet. Its branches are sparse. The leaves of the plant are dark green above and blue-green below.

The most striking feature of the plant is its large, beautiful flowers. This is what most people buy and grow peonies for, along with its medical uses. The blossoms of the moutan peony come in four different shapes: single, semi-double, double, and Japanese. In a single shaped blossom there is only one layer of petals around the center. Two or three layers of petals surround the center of a semi-double. In a double the center of the blossom is not even visible beneath a crowd of petals. A Japanese blossom looks similar to a semi-double but lacks the typical stamen in the center. Instead the center is filled with tiny petals or petaloids. Any of these flowers may be white, pink, or red in color. The silken, often fragrant blossoms can reach 6 to 12 inches across.

Life Cycle
The moutan peony is a slow growing shrub. It often takes years for properly beautiful flowers to grow. While slow-growing, this plant has been known to live very long, sometimes outliving its grower. This is especially true when a plant is left alone, rather than given stimulants or divided to increase stock.

Peonies can be planted in pots or straight into the ground. Flowers are often cut for the first few years before they can produce seeds. During these first few years growth rapidly increases, often doubling from one year to the next. They prefer full sun and well-drained soil for the best results. Peonies require a cold dormancy period (fall and winter) in order to bloom in the late spring or early summer. They do not survive in hot areas.

Ecology
The moutan peony originated in China, the first known area to cultivate tree peonies. They have been grown in China since before 724 A.D. The peony plants are grown across the United States, Europe, China, and Japan for their beautiful flowers and medical uses. These plants do best in USDA zones 2-8 and can survive surprisingly cold climates for a plant that almost looks as if it came from the tropics. Its hardiness is another reason that it is popular in gardens, especially in cooler climates.

Medical Uses
The peony is prized not only for its beauty, but also for its medical uses. In ancient times the Greeks and Romans used the plants in this way, as well as those in the Far East. Roots, bark, flowers, and seeds were all used for various cures. It works primarily on the heart and liver channels. One of its main functions was to cool the blood and promote blood circulation. Relieving pain, nourishing the blood, and providing antibacterial aid were said to be its uses in traditional Chinese medicine. In Europe during the Middle Ages it was used for aiding in childbirth, warding off spirits, controlling epileptic seizures, and cuing jaundice, among many other ailments. Today research goes on to discover new uses for this plant.

Even the name of the plant shows its usefulness in the medical field. The name is derived from the Greek myth of Paeon, a student under the god of medicine. Paeon was said to have used the peony to heal the god Pluto, angering his upstaged mentor. Pluto saved his life by turning him into the same plant that had cured him: the simple peony.