Peone

Peony (Paeonia) is the only genus from the peony family (Paeoniaceae) from the order Striaceae. Peonies are perennial herbs, semi-shrubs or shrubs. There are about 35 species, found mainly in the moderately warm regions of the northern hemisphere. These are very important plants in ornamental horticulture, from which a large number of cultivars have been bred, which, compared to pure botanical forms, are mostly full-flowering. They are also used as cut flowers.

History: Cultivated for over two thousand years; the first records date back to the Chinese Han Dynasty (3rd century BC).

The Latin name is derived from the Greek, from the legendary figure of the herbalist Paión, a disciple of Asclepius, whom the god Hades, after his murder, turned into a flower in gratitude for his healing. By corrupting the Middle Latin name Pionia, the Old Czech word peony was created by inserting a prosthetic v.

Where do peonies get their name from? The explanation of the Czech name of the peony does not deny the core folk poetics. Peony flowers were most often pink to red, as were the cheeks and nose of the big beer drinker ("the smell of beer").