Peony grows slowly, its plant type is small, and its plant height is mostly between 0.5 and 2 meters. Roots are fleshy, thick and long, with lignified center, generally 0.5 ~ 0.8 meters long, and a few roots can reach 2 meters; The color of root bark and root meat varies with varieties; The branches are erect, crisp and round, and look like shrubs from the roots. Annual branches are smooth and brown and often crack and fall off. Leaves alternate, leaves are usually three or three compound leaves, the upper branches are often simple leaves, and the leaflets are needle-shaped, oval, oval and so on. The terminal leaflets are often 2-3-lobed, with dark green or yellow-green leaves on the top and gray-green leaves on the bottom, smooth or hairy; The total petiole is 8 ~ 20 cm long with grooves on the surface; Peanut is at the top of the branch of the year, bisexual, large and colorful, with a diameter of10 ~ 30cm; The colors of flowers are white, yellow, pink, red, purple, deep purple (black), snow blue (pink blue), green and compound color. Male and female pistils are often petaled, and the natural growth of petals and the degree of petaled pistils are related to varieties, cultivation environmental conditions and growth years. Normal flowers have many stamens, strong seed setting ability and high seed maturity. Flowers with serious pistil petals, few seeds but no seeds, completely free stamens, 5 carpels, at least 8 carpels, each ovary bottle-shaped, placenta margin, most ovules pentagonal, 7- 13 per corner, and round seeds.
After peony changed from wild to domestic, due to the change of environmental conditions and continuous artificial breeding and cultivation, not only the color, pattern and flowering period changed sooner or later, but also the shape of plants, the length and thickness of roots and the color and shape of leaves.
Peony, also known as deer leek, mouse aunt, white benzene and hundred taels of gold, is a deciduous shrub of Paeonia in Ranunculaceae in botany. Its flowers and leaves are very similar to peony, so peony was also called water peony in ancient times.
Peony is generally 1.5 ~ 2 meters high, and the cultivation height in the south can reach 3 meters. The leaves are two or three irregular pinnate compound leaves with green surface, gray-green back, white powder and reddish when tender. Flowers are large, single, terminal and have many stamens. Sepals 5, green. Petals were originally 5-6. After cultivation, some stamens evolved into petals and became double flowers. The number of petals is small, which was called leafy in ancient times; There are many petals, which were called Chiba in ancient times. Flowers yellow, white, red and purple, diameter 12 ~ 25cm. After flowering, the fruit has short hair, cracks when it matures, and contains several large seeds, which are irregular, spherical and black. The flowering period is from April to May.
Peony originated in northwest China, and now it can be seen in mountainous areas of Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Henan. As Ouyang Xiu said in "The Peony Story in Luoyang" (103 1), "To the west of Yandan, there are many reward ramps, which are no different from thorns, and the natives are rewarded."
Peony as an ornamental plant began in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and there are many records in the literature. Liu Saike's Jia Ji said: "There are peony paintings in the Northern Qi Dynasty". Now that the peony has been painted, there is no doubt that it is the object of viewing. Xie pointed to the specific situation of planting and said, "There are many peonies in Yongjia's bamboo." (Taiping Yu Lan) Darwin, a pioneer of modern biology, wrote in his book Variation of Animals and Plants in China in the 1970s that peony has been cultivated in China for 1400 years "from the 1970s to 1400 years ago, that is, the fifth century, that is, the early years of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, which is roughly the same as the planting history of peony in China.
In the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang Di (AD 605 ~ 6 18) "built a 200-mile land for Xiyuan ... and all the birds, animals, plants and trees in" Calling the World "went to Shi Jing (now Luoyang, Henan) ... Yizhou (now Yixian, Hebei) and entered 20 boxes of peony". "Sui Su Zhiwen" said: "Peony blooms at five o'clock in Qingming Festival." This shows that peony is a bigger ornamental plant.
Peony cultivation began in the Tang Dynasty (AD 6 18 ~ 907). Kaiyuan flourishing age is in Chang 'an. Legend has it that there was a man named Song Shanfu who was good at growing flowers. At the call of Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, he went to Lishan to plant more than 10,000 plants of different colors (Longcheng Record). Li Bai's "clouds want clothes and flowers, and spring breeze blows the threshold." If it weren't for the head of Yushan Mountain, I would meet Yaotai under the moon. "There are three songs, such as Qing Ping Diao, about peonies of different colors." The peony demon in front of the court failed, and the lotus flowers in the pool were quiet and affectionate. Only peony is the real national color, and capital moves when flowers bloom. "(Liu Yuxi:" Appreciating Peony ")" The imperial city is dying in spring, and it is noisy for a while; * * * If you say peony, you will buy flowers with you. The price is uncertain, and the reward depends on the number of flowers: burning a hundred red flowers and stepping on the beam. ..... everyone is used to it, and everyone is obsessed. ..... "(Bai Juyi:" Buy Flowers ") From these poems, we can see the grand occasion of digging peony in Chang 'an, the imperial capital at that time. At this time, peony not only has many kinds of colors, but also has some novel changes and double petals. "There is a peony nest in Xingtang Temple, and Yuanhe has 1,200 flowers. Their colors are positive halo, inverted halo, light red, light purple, purple white, white sandalwood and so on. There are those without crimson, those without hearts inside and outside the leaves, and those with heavy flowers with seven or eight inches painted faces. "("Youyang Miscellany ")" Chiba peony was planted in front of the Muzong Emperor Temple, and bloom was fragrant, and Chiba was big and red. " (Du Yang Za). This also shows that as early as the ninth century, China already had double-petalled peony.
In Song Dynasty (960 ~ 1279), China Peony Cultivation Center moved from Chang 'an in Tang Dynasty to Luoyang, with more varieties of peony and more systematic cultivation techniques. A number of theoretical monographs appeared, which greatly promoted the study of peony. The works of this period include "Luoyang Peony" by Ouyang Xiu; Zhou's Peony in Yinjiang Luoyang and Flowers and Trees in Luoyang; Max Zhang's "Luoyang Flower Spectrum" and so on. This paper introduces the cultivation and management of peony, and summarizes a set of mature experiences. Ouyang Xiu said: Generally speaking, Luo people have flowers in their homes, but it is difficult to cover them without big trees.
At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, with the constant war, Luoyang Peony began to decline, and Chen Zhou Peony took its place. Zhang Bangji wrote "The Story of Peony in Chen Zhou": "Luoyang peony is found in the flower spectrum, not as rich as Chen Zhou peony. Round household flowers are like millet, measured in hectares. "
In the Southern Song Dynasty, the peony cultivation center moved south, from Luoyang in the north to Tian Peng (now Pengzhou, Sichuan), Chengdu and Hangzhou in the south. The peony cultivated by cutting in Tian Peng ranks first in Sichuan and is known as "Little Xijing". Lu You, a poet, was an official in Shu, and went to enjoy the tour in person, and wrote "The Peony Tree of Tian Peng" (1 178). After the Southern Crossing in Song Dynasty, the flowering period of Luoyang declined, but Hangzhou developed, and some novel varieties appeared, such as' Jiuxin Lilac Peony' and' Baihua Qingyuan Peony'.
The Yuan Dynasty was the low tide period of peony development in China. There are only a handful of good varieties that can be seen in Chang 'an and Luoyang, and the varieties are degraded. It is rare to see a double-petal variety, because there is "Chiba alone, thousands of people are still British, and thousands of people are outstanding, especially in a hundred years" (Yao Sui's Preface to Peony)!
In the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368 ~ 1644), the peony cultivation center moved to Bozhou, Anhui. Xia's "Bozhou Peony Theory" said: "My Bozhou peony has been immersed in the year, and its beauty has changed three times, especially between Ji and Meng. In addition, there are Tianxiang Yipin, Pomegranate Red, Shengjiao Rong, Gong Hong robe, glazed pearls and Xinhong. Mixed red comes out last, and there are few varieties. There is also a kind of rhubarb, which is light and greasy and lovely. The top of the Buddha is green and white first. Generally, safflower is mainly composed of bonus, silver red and peach red. " Another cloud said, "The number of martial arts steps in the thatched cottage is biased. Rate is two colors in a cluster, red and white are different and intertwined. In addition, flat purple is used to celebrate the fragrance. First, insert the three colors of spring and red in its flowers to form an article. When the flowers bloom, they will be brilliant. " This is the first time of Chinese flower arrangement technology.
In the Ming Dynasty, Bozhou peony was very famous, but peony cultivation in Cao Zhou (now Heze) and the capital Beijing gradually flourished. Around Taihu Lake in the south of the Yangtze River, Lanzhou and Linxia in the northwest have also developed.
Peony was introduced to Cao Zhou and Bozhou in Jiajing (1522 ~ 1567) in Ming Dynasty, and it was also very popular in Wanli (1573 ~ 1620). The two places exchanged varieties with each other, "Cao Huaduo moved from Bo" (Qing? Yu Pengnian's "Cao Zhou Peony Spectrum"); Bozhou has also introduced many famous Cao Zhou products. For example, The History of Peony in Bozhou records a variety of "golden jade meets splendor", calling Cao Zhou the first product, and there are two kinds of "forbearing to help the red" and "Shi Pinghong", which are also produced in Cao Zhou. "Cao Nan Peony Spectrum" also said: "By the Ming Dynasty, Cao Nan peony had been at sea." In Yi Shi's home in Cao Zhou, there are 40 mu of peonies, ranging from one or two thousand to several hundred. "("Five Miscellanies "). It can be seen that Heze, the main peony producing area today, began to flourish in the Ming Dynasty.
There have been peonies in Beijing since Liao and Jin Dynasties, and peony cultivation has flourished. It is recorded in the examination of Beijing in Ming Dynasty that Emperor Sheng Zong of Liao Dynasty (982- 103 1) went to Changchun Palace to see peony in March of 12 (995). Peony planting flourished in the Ming Dynasty, "Peony was planted inside and outside the Golden Temple". There are three famous gardens outside the city: Liangjiayuan, Tsinghua Campus and Huian Garden.
In Jiangnan, Jiangyin peony flourished in Ming Dynasty. Besides, there are many factories in Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai. Peony is also produced in Guanyang, Guangxi. According to the records of Guangxi Tongzhi in the Ming Dynasty, in Guangxi, "Peony comes from Lingchuan and Guanyang, and Guanyang Peony is one foot high, and the place name is Luoyang."
In the Qing Dynasty (A.D.1644 ~1911), peony planting in Cao Zhou became more prosperous, and Bozhou took its place. "Cao County Records" said: "Peony is not a native product, it first flourished in Charlotte (now Luonan County, Shaanxi Province) and then in Bozhou. At that time, there were six or seven hundred species, arranged in five colors. As for the loneliness of Bozhou today, it is known that it is in Cao Zhou. " "Garden households in Cao Zhou plant flowers like millet, with hectares as the unit of measurement, and cover with pots." (Cao Zhou Peony). In Pu Songling's Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio, there is also a description of "Cao Zhou Peony Jia Qilu". At this time, it is very common to plant peony in villages in the northeast of Cao Zhou. There are many people who grow flowers into gardens, especially Wang Lizhuang, Hongmiao, Maozhuang and Zhaolou. During the Daoguang period, Zhao Yutian built a garden in the north of the village, which was a masterpiece of the village. The trees around the garden are hedged with mulberry trees, which is called "Mulberry Hedge Garden". He is the author of the Tree of Peony in Muliyuan, with a record of 15 1 species, in which he said, "There are ten counties and two states in the mountains, and English peony is the only one in Cao Zhou. Cao Zhou has ten cities and one state, and peony is alone in Heze. " "Heze is a county, I don't know how many. Peony comes out, but it is a corner of the north of the city, the sun of Lushan Mountain, and it is endless. " Later, there was the "Tree of Peony in Qiyuan Garden", which was recognized by many people. And the cloud said: "Looking back, Grain Rain saw that it was colorful, full of flowers, interlaced like brocade, gorgeous like sunset, burning like jade, gorgeous like five colors." At that time, the planting area had reached more than 500 mu, and more than 10,000 plants were exported every year, which were shipped to Guangzhou, Tianjin, Beijing, Hankou, Xi, Jinan and other places for sale. Among them, the largest number of people are transported to Guangzhou, and the income is also very large. There is a saying among local farmers: "Nothing is more suitable for planting fruit trees than papaya and persimmon, or peony and peony are more suitable for planting flowers and trees." Coupled with social hobbies, Heze people are good at planting flowers, and peony roots and bark can be used as medicine, so Heze peony has a long history of development.
Peony was also cultivated in most areas of Gansu in Qing Dynasty. Lanzhou, Linxia and Lintao are cultivation centers. Gansu Xintongzhi, compiled in the late Qing Dynasty, once recorded that "there are peonies in all state capitals in Gansu, but Lanzhou is rich in five colors". Yan' an Wanhua, which is located opposite Dufuchuan Huayuantou Village, is rich in peony. Qing? Jia's "Records of Yan 'an Prefecture" records that "the flower source produces many peonies, and the firewood workers pay them." People nearby have the custom of enjoying flowers here on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, which has a history of 1000 years.
There are Ningguo Peony and Tongling Peony in Jiangnan Peony. According to 1936, "Ningguo County Records" records: "Ningguo and Panlong produce peony, and white and yellow are the most expensive." As for the peony in Tongling, according to the Records of Tongling County, "there is Bai Mudan in the sinus of fairy peony, which is plain and beautiful. It is said that Ge Hong planted it. " Ge Hong was born in the Jin Dynasty. According to this legend, it has a history of 1600 years.
After the founding of New China, China Peony was restored and developed. At present, the cultivated area of Heze Peony has reached more than 50,000 mu, with more than 600 varieties. It has become the largest peony cultivation, viewing and scientific research center in China, ranking first in the world.
The history of peony cultivation in China has formed a pattern that the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River are the main cultivation centers and other areas are secondary cultivation centers or important cultivation sites. With the change of dynasties, the peony cultivation center changed, but the main cultivation center was always located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Its transfer process is: Luoyang (Sui)-Chang 'an (Tang)-Luoyang (Five Dynasties, Song)-Bozhou, (Ming)-Cao Zhou (Qing). This is the main line of the formation and development of China peony variety group. In addition, there are several development centers: first, the Yangtze River Delta, around Taihu Lake and southeast Anhui; Second, Chengdu and Pengzhou in the northwest corner of Sichuan Basin; The third is Lanzhou and Linxia in Gansu; The fourth is Guanyang in Guangxi.
It takes about 1650 years for China peony to be introduced from wild to ornamental. Cultivars have gradually evolved from single petal flowers to compound petals, double petals and even terraced flowers. The main force to promote the evolution of peony varieties to double petals is good cultivation conditions. As we all know, the excellent quality and branches of varieties are fixed by grafting, from which a large number of new varieties emerge.
From the above facts, it can be explained that China's peony variety resources are extremely rich, that is, there are wild species, semi-wild species and a large number of cultivated species. Its flowers are rich, graceful and generous, not only beautiful in appearance, but also beautiful in color and rhyme.
There are many kinds of peonies. There are about 30 kinds of peony in the world, and there are more than 800 kinds of peony in China. There are many classification methods of peony, according to plant shape, branches, habits, leaf shape, color, flowering period, flower pattern and so on. According to different wild species, it can be divided into peony series, purple peony series, yellow peony series and purple peony series; According to the basic structure of flowers, they can be divided into two categories: single clothing and becoming a monk; According to the evolution mode and order of flowers, they can be divided into Melaleuca group and Hugging group.
cultivation techniques
Propagation: methods such as sowing, dividing plants, grafting and layering can be used.
(1) Sowing: The seeds will gradually mature from early September, and should be sowed as soon as possible after seed collection, so as to germinate and grow radicles before winter. The epicotyl of peony seeds needs a long dormancy period to germinate, while the radicle does not need dormancy period, so it only takes root in the year of autumn sowing, germinates in the next spring, and then transplants seedlings in autumn. It takes five years for seedlings to bloom and grow slowly.
(2) Plant division: The division of trees can be carried out in Qingming, but it can be postponed in warm areas. When dividing plants, pay attention to dividing plants in places that are easy to separate, and pay attention to more new dividing plants.
(3) Grafting: Peony roots or peony roots are usually used for root grafting. Peony roots are thin and hard, which is not convenient for grafting, so peony roots are often used as showers. Usually in late September. Before the specific operation, first dig out the fleshy roots of Paeonia lactiflora, then cut them off one by one and put them in a cool place indoors for two days to reduce the moisture in the roots and soften them. Then cut the roots of Paeonia lactiflora as scions, each branch must have full terminal buds, and graft them on the roots of Paeonia lactiflora one by one in the room by splitting. Generally, it is not necessary to tie it, but only use good cement to seal the joint, and immediately take it to a flat nursery for planting after grafting. When planting, the interface should be planted in the soil with a depth of 8- 10 cm, and then the top bud of the scion should be sealed in rows of ridges. In autumn, new roots can grow on peony rootstocks, but the terminal buds of peony scions do not germinate. Before Tomb-Sweeping Day in the following year, open the ridge to allow peony to germinate and grow. After autumn, you can dig out its own roots, and at the same time cut off the rootstock of peony before planting, otherwise the roots of peony will grow into peony clusters like peony, which will affect the growth of peony.
Management: peony cultivation should pay attention to the following points: first, water it in spring to promote its growth and meet the needs of flowering; Pay attention to drainage after rain in summer, and do not accumulate water; In autumn, the amount of water should be properly controlled to avoid freezing for too long. Followed by fertilization, peony had better be fertilized three times a year. For the first time, when the new buds are quickly drawn out and the leaves and flowers are unfolding, fertilization has a good effect on the growth of flowers, mainly after-effect fertilizer. The second time after the flower withers has a great influence on the later growth and the increase of flower buds, and it is also mainly based on quick-acting fertilizer. The third time is in autumn and winter, which plays an important role in enhancing the growth of spring, mainly using after-effect fertilizer. In addition, attention should be paid to intertillage weeding, pruning and bud picking, and ornamental plants can leave fewer branches, so that the branches sprouting at the base can be removed in a short time to form beautiful plant shapes. Flower bud differentiation began in late July and should be pruned before that. Peony likes light, but in the summer sun exposure, leaves often fade, or even scorch and stop growing, so it should be properly shaded when cultivated.
The common diseases of peony are brown spot, anthracnose and purple feather disease. Comprehensive control methods should be adopted, and common fungicides should be used in the onset period.
Pests include root nematodes, longicorn beetles and scale insects.
use
Peony flowers are beautiful in shape, full of color and fragrance, and have high ornamental value. Widely cultivated in Chinese traditional classical gardens, and also widely used for potted viewing.
The bark of Paeonia suffruticosa root is called "Paeonia lactiflora", which contains paeoniflorin, paeoniflorin and paeoniflorin, and has the functions of clearing away heat and cooling blood, promoting blood circulation, regulating menstruation and removing blood stasis. Long-term administration can strengthen the body, prolong life, and treat diseases such as hypertension and blood stasis. The whole flower can regulate menstruation and promote blood circulation, which is mainly used to treat women's irregular menstruation and menstrual abdominal pain. Petals and pollen contain a variety of amino acids, vitamins, sugars, enzymes and trace elements. Can be used as health food, beverage, cosmetics, etc.