Paeonia

Peony

Message of the Flower

Beauty in Art

The Mother’s Comment

A beauty that displays itself and allows itself to be contemplated.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

Art is discovery and revelation of Beauty…

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Poetry and Art: Art for Art's Sake

Art is nothing less in its fundamental truth than the aspect of beauty of the Divine manifestation.

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1929 - 1931: 28 July 1929

If you want art to be the true and highest art, it must be the expression of a divine world brought down into this material world.

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1929 - 1931: 28 July 1929

In a sense, spirituality is the highest art, the art of life; for it aims at creating a life of beauty pure in line, faultless in rhythm, replete with strength, illumined with light and vibrant with delight.

Sri Aurobindo

Colour

White, yellow, purple, red, or pink

Family

Paeoniaceae

Cultivars

Sarah Bernhardt', 'Karl Rosenfield', 'Festiva Maxima'

Person who named the flower

Carl Linnaeus

Flower Size

6-10 inches in diameter

Flower Texture

Soft, silky

Number of Petals

5 to many, depending on variety

Floral Symmetry

Radial

Fragrance of Flower

Many are highly fragrant

Leaf Texture

Smooth, sometimes glossy

Leaf Arrangement

Alternate, compound

Leaf Color

Green, turns darker or reddish in fall

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Herbaceous perennials and tree peonies

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Late spring to early summer

Climate

Temperate

Water Requirements

Moderate, well-drained soil

Soil Type

Fertile, loamy, well-drained

Temperature Ranges

Hardy to USDA zones 3 through 8

Sun or Shade

Full sun to partial shade

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Botrytis blight, peony wilt, powdery mildew

Pollinators

Attracts bees and other pollinators

Habitat

Native to Asia, Southern Europe, Western North America

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides nectar and pollen for insects

Quotations

Featured in many sayings and poems

Ornamental

Widely cultivated for gardens and floral arrangements

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Garden design, herbal medicine, culinary uses

Endangered Status

Not endangered