Paeonia suffruticosa

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Fuyu Botan'

National Flower of China

Flower name
Paeonia suffruticosa
Scientific name
Paeonia suffruticosa 'Fuyu Botan'
Alias牡丹, 冬牡丹
Place of originChina
Place of floweringGarden, Park, Potted flower
Flowering seasonJanuary, February
Language of flowersbashfulness, compassion

What is Paeonia suffruticosa

Winter Peony (Fuyu Botan, Scientific name: Paeonia suffruticosa 'Fuyu Botan') is a horticultural cultivar of a cold-hardy deciduous shrub Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) belonging to the peony family (Paeoniaceae), native to China.

Winter Peony is a modified spring-blooming variety of the peony, which is treated with low temperatures and subsequently warmed to induce winter blooming. This process causes the plant to mistake the season for spring, resulting in flowering while the leaves remain green.

フユボタン'島錦'
Winter Peony 'Shima Nishiki' (Japanese Name: フユボタン '島錦')

The tree height ranges from 100 to 150 cm, with branching that spreads horizontally. The stems are grayish-brown in color.
The leaves are doubly ternate compound leaves, with leaflet lengths of 5–8 cm and widths of 3–7 cm, forming an elongated oval shape. The leaf edges are serrated, and the leaves alternate along the branches.
The flowers bloom in January and February, with a diameter of 15–20 cm. They come in forms such as double, semi-double, and full double blooms. The flower colors are diverse, including pale pink, white, red, reddish-purple, dark red, yellow, bluish-purple, orange, and red with gradient shading.
Due to the short flower stems, the flowers appear to bloom directly above the leaves. Many horticultural varieties are cultivated.