The peony, a precious flower native to China, boasts thousands of years of natural growth and over 1500 years of cultivation history. With a wide array of varieties and colors, which peony breeds do you find most appealing?
I’ve gathered ten of the most beautiful peony varieties for you, such as Yao Huang, Wei Zi, Zhao Fen, Dou Lu, Er Qiao, Luoyang Red, Yu Yi Huang, and Jiu Zui Yangfei.
Let’s explore them together.
The Yao Huang peony, often heralded as the “King of Flowers,” undoubtedly tops the list of peony varieties. This traditional breed, according to the “Flower Mirror,” originated from the home of Yao Chong, just as the Wei Zi variety originated from the home of Wei Xiang.
Yao Chong, along with Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Song Jing, was one of the four virtuous ministers during the Tang Dynasty. The Yao Huang peony, a prized variety, grew at the foot of Mang Mountain, beneath the White Horse Slope near Yao Chong’s residence.
Initially, its flowers bloom in goose-yellow, but as they fully open, they turn golden. The flowers bloom higher than the leaves, opening uniformly, exuding brilliance and a delightful fragrance.
Some blooms even measure over a foot in diameter, their luminescent beauty making them truly regal.
The Wei Zi peony, one of the most precious varieties, is often referred to as the “Queen of Flowers.” It originated from the home of Wei Renbo in Luoyang during the Five Dynasties period.
Known for its stunningly layered petals, the Wei Zi offers a warm and vibrant aesthetic, enhancing feelings of success, festivity, wealth, and good luck. It’s highly admired for its ornamental value.
Ouyang Xiu recounted the origins of the Wei Zi in his “Record of Luoyang’s Peonies,” explaining how it was initially dug up by a woodcutter from Shou An Mountain and sold to a high-ranking official, Wei Renpu.
The Song Dynasty poetry states, “Yao and Wei have always been the pride of Luoyang, their lavish blooms worth a fortune.” Thus, the Wei Zi and Yao Huang, being treasured breeds, have been celebrated for over a millennium.
The Wei Zi has a long blooming period, produces numerous blossoms, and is therefore crowned as the “Queen of Flowers.
The Zhao Fen is one of the most beautiful peony varieties and the youngest among the four greats. As per the “Mulberry Garden Peony Record,” the Zhao Fen was developed by relocating the Bing Ling Zao Red Stone (also known as Tong Zi Mian) from Luoyang to Caozhou’s Zhao Garden.
The variety, known for its intense fragrance and abundant blooms, comes in three types—single, semi-double, and double-petalled, some having all three types on one plant.
Because of its remarkable traits, it gained quick popularity and an impressive reputation. Named for its pink blossoms, it was traditionally known as “Tong Zi Mian.”
With its diverse bloom types, vigorous growth, and large quantity of flowers, it’s a prolific variety with a pleasing fragrance.
The Dou Lu, also known as Ou Bi, is one of the four grand peonies. The “Bozhou Peony History” mentions: “Among the eight brilliant adornments (referring to eight kinds of flowers), there is one green flower that is as colored as green beans – a real rarity.
This is likely where the name Dou Lu comes from. Wang Shirui writes in “Introduction to Peony Masterpieces” that the Dou Lu, also called Ou Bi, is an old variety from Luoyang. It blooms late, with petal textures that are lush and translucent, akin to jade.
This flower is a rare and valued variety. At first, it opens in a green hue, which lightens as it fully blooms. Under the sunlight, the flower becomes white, creating a fresh and elegant charm with a unique, non-conformist beauty. It represents the green peony varieties.
Er Qiao is the most beautiful peony variety in my opinion. Originating from Luoyang, this medium variety is a traditional treasure among Luoyang peonies. It tops the ranking among multi-colored species, capable of producing both purple-red and pink-white flowers on the same plant, or even on the same flower – a truly unique feature.
Due to its Luoyang origins, it’s also known as Luoyang Brocade or Flower Er Qiao. Its two-tone flowers can even bloom in purple-red and pink hues on the same plant or branch. The base of its petals is ink-purple, and the plant grows tall, with upright flowers that reach towards the sky.
The vibrant flower color, aloof posture, and charming demeanor contribute to its unique allure and beauty.
The Luoyang Red is the most beautiful among the renowned peony varieties, named after an anecdote involving Empress Wu Zetian belittling the peony.
Also known as the Jiao Gu Peony or Purple Er Qiao, it’s the only peony variety named after Luoyang. This flower has large plants, green leaves, purple flowers, and yellow stamens. The flowers open in rose or chrysanthemum shapes.
The plant is robust and adaptable, deserving to be called the “ancestral Luoyang peony.” It has bright purple-red flowers and can produce hundreds of blooms on a single plant. The abundant flowers and lush foliage have earned it the title of “new Queen of Flowers.”
The Yu Yi Huang, also known as the “Imperial Robe Yellow,” is one of the top ten peony varieties and a notable yellow species in traditional peonies, with blooms resembling lotus or chrysanthemums.
During the Qing Dynasty, the Yu Yi Huang was a premium among flowers, sought after by the wealthy for thousands of taels of silver per plant. Song Qin Guan’s “Spring Poem Quatrain” reads: “The pale-colored imperial yellow should be good, for whom will it bloom again next year?”
Yellow peonies are rare, and apart from the “King of Flowers” Yao Huang, the “Yu Yi Huang” can be considered a top variety in this series.
Jiu Zui Yangfei is a valuable peony variety that blooms in a light purple color, with the top turning pink when fully bloomed. Due to the plant’s soft branches and the drooping flower heads, it displays a delicate drunken state, hence the name “Drunk Yangfei.”
The plant grows large and wide, with thick branches and leaves. The flowers are light pinkish-purple, with white hints of red, resembling a flushed face. The flowers can be in lotus or cassia shape, sometimes in a crown shape.
Because of its soft stem, the flower opens sideways or droops. With sparse and drooping leaves and branches, it resembles Yangfei drunk on wine, barely able to stand.
Qing Long Wo Mo Chi is also considered by many flower enthusiasts as one of the most beautiful peonies. This flower is light ink-purple, in a cassia shape, and sometimes in a crown shape.
The base color is noticeably deepened, with large, round outer petals surrounding the fragmented and curled inner petals. The pistil petals in the center have transformed into a green color.
The narrow, rolled, colorful petals are surrounded by ink-purple multi-layered petals, resembling a green dragon lying in an ink pool, hence the name Qing Long Wo Mo Chi. It has a high ornamental value, grows vigorously, and produces many flowers, making it one of the renowned old varieties.
Hei Hua Kui is also one of the most beautiful peony flowers and is a notable variety among black peonies. The so-called black peony is not pure black, but rather the deepest red among red peonies.
The flower is in the shape of a rose. The flower bud is round and pointed; the color is light ink-purple, with a fine texture. The petals are hard and the base is ink-purple. The flower’s branch is stiff and short, and the flower grows straight up.
It is a medium flower variety. Its growth ability is the best among the black series, with a short flower neck, and the flower blooms sideways. Its petal shape is beautiful, and the color is as delicate as silk satin.
Peggie was once a high school mathematics teacher, but she set aside her chalkboard and textbooks to follow her lifelong passion for flowers. After years of dedication and learning, she not only established a thriving flower shop but also founded this blog, “Flowers Library”. If you have any questions or wish to learn more about flowers, feel free to contact Peggie.
English 
العربية 
Bahasa Indonesia 
Deutsch 
Français 
Italiano 
Nederlands 
Português 
Русский 
日本語