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Peony in Brief, Summary on the properties of the Peony

Scroll down the page to read the summary table on the peony

Peonies, myths and legends
  • Peony: queen of the flowers of the Celestial Empire → Longevity, iridescent beauty and voluptuous fragrance
  • Flower language → peony: shyness and shame
  • The nymphs used the petals of peonies as protection
  • Peony → tears shed by Diana
  • Middle Ages → recommended to women giving birth to ward off evil spirits
Peony: current uses Cultivated for ornamental, medicinal and cosmetic purposes
Peony: general description Other appellations: rose without thorns

Land of origin: East

Symbol: love, prosperity, loyalty, peace in a couple's relationship

Phytotherapy / homeopathy: antiplatelet agent, mood modulator, calming and antispasmodic

Herbaceous and woody peonies
  1. Herbaceous peonies: colorful flowers with a rather evanescent scent
  2. Woody peonies: more rustic than the herbaceous ones, but also very colorful
Peonies: botanical description
  • Botanical name: Paeonia officinalis
  • Family: Peoniacee
  • Description: perennial herbaceous plants, able to survive even in hostile soils
  • Height: 80-100 cm
  • Location: in the woods it grows in the wild
  • Leaves: bright green and glossy, large, divided into several lobes and always deciduous
  • Flowers: very colorful, very large and solitary
  • Stamens: numerous (even 200)
  • Petals: generally 5, but some stamens can be transformed into petals
  • Seeds: particularly large (diameter: 1 cm) and dark, contained in the fruit
  • Roots: fleshy
  • Peculiar characteristic: longevity
  • Soil: well drained
Peony: chemical components
  • Peonina: an alkaloid molecule that acts at the level of smooth muscles
  • Penolo: (hydroxy-acetophenone in free form) bland antiplatelet platelet and mood modulator
  • Penoside and penolide (hydroxy-acetophenone in glycosylated form): adjuvants in the inhibition of platelet aggregation, in the prevention of thrombotic phenomena
Peony: additional phytotherapeutic properties Purgative and emetic potential → peony seeds

Calming and antispasmodic properties → whole plant

Pretty bland sedative for infants → peony petals

Contrasts mucosal and skin disorders → dried petals

Peony: toxicity Excessive doses of peony seed decoction: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, depression and hypotension