Peony

a family of showy perennials familiar in gardens. Known also as paeony and "piney." The name is from the Greek Paean, the physician of the gods, having reference to the reputed medicinal properties of the root. The peony is a member of the buttercup family. There are numerous European and Asiatic species. There is also a species native to the Pacific coast of North America. The peony may be propagated either from seeds or from root-stocks. The old-fashioned red peony has been known ever since the day of the Roman Pliny. The peony is particularly free from the attacks of insects. A clump well established and sheltered by mulch in the winter produces an abundance of flowers for many years. The florist has succeeded in producing double peonies. Two or three dozen varieties are now in cultivation. One species raised in China is a stout shrub with large rose-colored or white flowers.