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Paeonia delavayi
Also called Tree Peony, Yellow Tree Peony, Delavay's Tree Peony
Dian mu dan is a deciduous, low woody shrub from southwest China, grown for its nodding reddish-brown to yellow flowers in mid May to mid June. The key to growing it is good drainage, a neutral to limy deep rich soil, and protection from waterlogging and strong wind.
Paeonia delavayi is a low woody shrub belonging to the peony family, and is endemic to China. The vernacular name in China is 滇牡丹 (diān mǔdan). In English it is called Delavay's tree peony, Delavay peony, Dian peony, and dian mu dan. It mostly has reddish-brown to yellow, nodding flowers from mid May to mid June. The light green, delicate looking deciduous leaves consist of many segments, and are alternately arranged on new growth.
Paeonia delavayi is cultivated as an ornamental in gardens. In China, it is cultivated to produce a traditional medicine. It is said to be grown with ease, preferring a neutral or limy, deep rich soil in sun or partial shade. It is however sensitive to stagnant water at the roots and does best in soils with good drainage, such as in raised beds. Planting tree peonies in a sheltered position may help to prevent strong winds from breaking branches, particularly during flowering. Tree peonies in general can suffer from peony wilt (Botrytis paeoniae, a grey mould blight) and verticillium wilt, which may cause wilting and dieback of young shoots. In infected soils, honey fungus can cause instant death.
Paeonia delavayi is endemic to southwestern China, where it is limited to Sichuan, Yunnan and the extreme South-East of Tibet.
Anomalous Peony · California peony · Paeonia cambessedesii · Paeonia corsica · Paeonia daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii · Tree Peony · Himalayan Peony · Chinese peony · Paeonia ludlowii · Peony · Chinese Peony · Common peony
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Paeonia delavayi by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
