Features, planting and care tips

Plant profile:

• Botanical name: Paeonia lactiflora and Paeonia officinalis
• German names: Benediktenrose, Bauernrose Freisamrose, Gichtrose, Pfundrose, horse rose
• Class: Covering
• Genus: Peonies
• Family: Peonies
• Height: up to one meter
• Main flowering time: May - June
• Leaf color: dark green
• Leaf shape: Compound pinnate, notched leaf margin
• Flower color: red, white, pink, yellow
• Flower shape: filled, half-filled or unfilled calyxes
• Fruits: follicles with rounded seeds

origin

Interestingly, it is thriving Peony only on the northern hemisphere. It occurs in the wild in China, Japan and India, where it grows in sparse forests. The perennial species, on the other hand, originally come from Eurasia and North America.

Plant symbolism

In the early Middle Ages, Benedictine monks dedicated themselves to the cultivation of this wonderful plant. Christian mythology praises the peony as a symbol of healing and the beauty of the feminine. You can find it as an ornament on many altarpieces, because as a "rose without thorns" it is a symbol of the Mother of God.

The botanical genus name “Paeonia” can be traced back to the Greek doctor of the gods “Paian”. According to legend, he healed Pluton, the god of the underworld, with the help of the peony, after he was wounded by Heracles in the war for Pylos.

Planting and care

Peonies love a sunny location where they find humus-rich, nutrient-rich and well-drained soil. You can also give shrub peonies a partially shaded place, provided that they are surrounded by direct sunlight for a few hours a day.

Prevent waterlogging with a drainage layer, because the thornless flower princess reacts quickly with root rot. Temporary drought is better tolerated because the peony forms roots that reach deep into the earth and can store water in the root system.

Plant peonies preferably in early autumn and give them enough space. Depending on the type and variety, the planting distance should be 1 to 1.5 meters. In the first few years the perennials still need good winter protection, later they are very robust and frost-hardy.

Healthy growth is achieved through using fertilization Compost soil or composted manure. Even Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) or Horn meal own. Two fertilizers a year, once in spring and once in summer, immediately after flowering, are sufficient.

Diseases and pests

Peonies are among those perennials that are rarely attacked by pests and diseases. Neither lice nor caterpillars like to feast on them, and snails hardly ever attack them.

However, various fungal diseases can affect the beauties of the garden. If the shoots show round, red-brown spots or begin to wither for no apparent reason, quick action is required. Cut off the infected parts of the plant and dispose of them in the household waste. You can then treat the peony with a commercially available fungicide.