From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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The Peony is flowering plant in the Paeonia genus and is a herbaceous perennial shrub and distant relative to the elephant apple that in its non-hybridized form produces large fragrant flowers in shaed of red to white in late spring and early summer. The plant is native to China.
Species of peonies include:
- Brown's Peony (Paeonia brownii]]
- California Peony (Paeonia californica)
- Chinese Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
- Peony (common) (Paeonia officinalis)
- Tree peony (P. suffruticosa) - a non-herbaceous, woody shrub
Folk medicine
"Ebisugusuri", the Japanese name for the peony means "medicine from China." In traditional folk medicine, peony root was used as a treatment for menstrual cramps, asthma and convulsions.
State flower of Indiana
In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony as the state flower of Indiana. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.
