Peony in history
Longevity, iridescent beauty and voluptuous scent: these are the three fundamental elements that have chosen the peony queen of flowers of the Celestial Empire: the peony was crowned "Queen" by an "ancient legend that has its roots in China, and is still considered as such.
In the ancient Greek mythological context, the peony was at the center of numerous myths and legends: just to give an example, the peony personifies the tears shed by Diana, goddess of the hunt, when she understood that she had killed her beloved with an arrow.
In the Middle Ages, the peony was recommended to women in childbirth in order to ward off evil spirits: clearly, all this falls within the ancient popular superstition.
In any case, the peony is not only the emblem of ancient legends: since time immemorial, it has been cultivated for both ornamental and medicinal purposes.
Generality
Adorned with the nickname “rose without thorns”, the peony has been venerated for millennia in the East, its land of origin: mediator of happiness and luck, the peony also symbolizes love, prosperity, fidelity and peace in the couple relationship. But the importance of the peony does not stop only at symbolic allusions: it is in fact exploited in the field of phytotherapy and homeopathy as a platelet antiplatelet, mood modulator, calming and antispasmodic.
The peony for ornamental use is very famous: for this purpose, two groups are distinguished, herbaceous peonies and woody peonies (arboreal). The first grouping of peonies is typical of Europe: the flowers, of multiple colors, elegantly decorate the lawns, although they are rather evanescent in their perfume. The so-called woody peonies are native to China and the East in general: they differ from the variety. precedent for the somewhat rustic character; however, woody peonies also wear numerous colored shades, from deep yellow to coral red.
Botanical description
Peonies (Paeonia officinalis) are perennial herbaceous plants belonging to the family of Peoniacee: we are talking about shrubs whose height does not exceed 80 cm or one meter. In the woods, the peony grows spontaneously in wild form and, as we have seen, has been cultivated for millennia for its colorful decorative petals. The leaves, with a bright and glossy green color, are large, divided into several lobes and always deciduous; the colorful flowers, also very large, are solitary and are characterized by numerous yellow stamens (as many as 200). In general, peonies consist of five petals; however, in some cultivated varieties there are a greater number of them, because some stamens are genetically transformed into a petal.
The fruits are distinguished by their particularly large (diameter: 1 cm) and dark seeds.
The roots appear fleshy and, due to the presence of some chemical compounds, are used in phytotherapy.
The plants are distinguished by their longevity: many peonies, in fact, can live undisturbed for many years. These floral species love well-drained soils and prefer shady locations. Some texts describe the peony as a capricious and at the same time tenacious flower: "capricious" because some varieties require special attention (for example, certain species of peonies, especially in winter, must be carefully sheltered from the cold, in order to avoid damage as a result of possible night frost), and "tenacious" because the plant is sometimes able to survive in hostile soils, at the foot of glaciers or at rather high altitudes.
Use in herbal medicine
As mentioned, the peony is not exploited only for its external beauty, elegant bearing or enchanting colors: thanks to their medicinal virtues, in fact, peonies are among the countless protagonists of traditional pharmacopoeias.
In phytotherapy, peony seeds are also used: in the form of a decoction, they have purgative and emetic potential. However, a clarification must be made: the seeds are potentially toxic and, when used improperly, can cause unpleasant side effects such as nausea, vomiting, depression, hypotension and diarrhea.
In decoction, all parts of the plant (flowers, petals, leaves) can be used: in this case, the peony is used for its calming and antispasmodic properties.
In particular for infants, dried peony petals are recommended to counteract disorders of the mucous membranes and skin, as well as being a rather mild sedative.
Along with other drugs, peony is used to relieve migraines and gastrointestinal problems. [adapted from Reasoned dictionary of herbal medicine and phytotherapy, by A. Bruni and M. Nicoletti]
Peonia in brief »
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