The tree peony, also known as “mudan” in Chinese, originates from China. Due to
its beauty, the tree peony has obtained the continued support and admiration of the
nation. It was decided in 1994 that the tree peony would serve to represent China’s
national flower.
Tracing through history, the tree peony has often been confused with the peony
that we know of today. Tree peony and peony are similar in appearance, and both of
them were commonly used in Chinese medicine.
Evidence dating back to some 3000 years ago shows that both flowers were found
in ancient writings, poetry, and paintings. Many of these described the climate and
geography in which these flowers thrived. Though similar, these two plants can be
distinguished by various traits. For one, the tree peony has a woody branch structure,
while the peony is a branch plant, which helps explain why the new name "mudan" was
given to differentiate between the two. In Chinese, "mu-" represents the woody branch
structure, and "-dan" corresponds to "red", a color that is synonymous with luck in
Chinese culture.
Although documented cultivation of the tree peony traces back to the Song
Dynasty, approximately 1600 years ago, the discovery of these flowers is dated back to
the Sui Dynasty. Tree peonies were originally grown mostly in countrysides and in
villages. It was then massively reproduced in farms, and eventually found a place in the
palace of Emperor Suiyang. After the death of emperor Suiyang, the tree peony remained
significant throughout multiple Chinese dynasties. Most importantly, over the course of
the Tang dynasty, the tree peony gained much attention, as it became a symbol of class
and power. The gardens in the palace of Emperor Suanzong became a gathering place for
people to admire the beauty of these flowers. In fact, the gatherings soon escalated into
tree peony festivals where the participants would often write poetry, sample wine, listen
to music and paint while admiring the aroma and appearance of the flower.
The tree peony also became a popular selection in flower arrangements.
Arranging tree peonies was not concentrated in the palaces alone, as its influence spread
around the cities as well. The love for the tree peony was so great that people set strict
restrictions on a variety of conditions; the quality of water, the type of vases, and the
decorating environments in which a tree peony could be set in. The famous poet Li Bai
wrote, "The flowers bloom for only 20 days, but that's enough for us to go into a craze."
From this we can imagine how mesmerized the citizens of the Tang Dynasty were of
these flowers.
During this time period, many unusual flowers and strains also found their way
into the capitol, which promoted the major developments and popularity of the tree
peony. The Emperor Suanzong hired a well known florist, and specifically established
the first tree peony garden in history. There were at least five different colors of the tree
peonies: dark red, dark purple, pink, white, and yellow. At the time, the preferred color
was purple and red. However, a type of multi-petal tree peony also started to make an
appearance. We can call this era "the Golden age of the tree peonies". The tree peony
not only symbolized the beauty of a nation, it also represented the nobility of the Tang
Dynasty.
The Northern Sung Dynasty was also a magnificent period for the tree peony in
Chinese history. The cultivation of the tree peony had become an established custom.
Ouyang Xiu, was one of the best known writers during the Tang-Sung dynasty. He wrote
the first encyclopedia of tree peonies, a truly priceless piece of work.
The encyclopedia mentions 24 different strains of tree peonies and summarizes its
progress while describing its significance in Luoyang. Quyang Xiu pointed out that
people in Luoyang did not refer to this flower by its name "mudan", instead, simple as
"flower". The people believed that the tree peony was the only true “flower”. Shortly
after this book, more literature pieces were written regarding this flower. One wellknown book lists one hundred and nineteen strains of tree peony. The writer of this book
visited all the flower farms that he could possibly find to gather all the possible strains of
the tree peony. At the same time, tree peony cultivating techniques continued to improve
and additional tree peonies variants appeared.
Looking at the development of Chinese tree peony, we can clearly see how
popular they were during the Tang Dynasty and throughout history as a whole. Few
people can deny the beauty of these breath taking flowers. After numerous generations,
the significance of the Chinese tree peony has not diminished. Their meaning to the
Chinese culture is more than what we could describe in words.