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Peonies in Greek Mythology and Chinese Legend In Greek mythology, there are several versions of how the peony was named. e most common version is that of Paeon, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. During an epic battle with the underworld, Pluto was gravely wounded by an arrow to his shoulder. Apollo could not be found, so Paeon was asked to assist. Using a milky liquid extracted from the peony root, Paeon healed Pluto. An angry Apollo felt he had been upstaged and threated to kill Paeon. Zeus and other gods decided to protect Paeon and immortalized him into the same plant he was using to heal his patients. A second version says that Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing, became jealous of his pupil Paeon, and Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony fl ower. Yet another version suggests the name came from a nymph named Paeonia. Apollo was smitten by her beauty, and Aphrodite did not take kindly to his new attraction. Out of spite, Aphrodite transformed Paeonia into the peony fl ower. Chinese legend references the beautiful but ruthless Empress Wu Zetian, of China's ancient Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907). One winter, tired of no fl owers in the Imperial Garden, she issued a decree that all fl owers must bloom in the winter. Afraid of her wrath, every fl ower obeyed except the mighty peony. Enraged, the Empress demanded that all the peonies be dug up from the garden, and she banished all peonies from the capital city to the city of Luoyang. e following spring, the peonies bloomed beautifully in Luoyang. When the Empress found out, she ordered that all the peonies be burned to the ground. But to everyone's surprise, the next spring, the peonies grew back and bloomed once again. Because of this, the fl ower fairies declared the peony as " e Queen of Flowers," and to this day, Luoyang is known as " e City of Peonies." e Rise of Alaska Peonies In the 1990s, horticulturist Patricia Holloway, from the University of Alaska– Fairbanks, attended a lecture on the hardiness of peonies. She discovered that during July, when Alaska has 15 to 20 hours of sunlight per day, peonies were thriving in gardens in Fairbanks. After conducting research, Holloway determined that in addition to the long hours of sunlight, Alaska's high altitude and cool summer temperatures (especially in the evenings) would contribute to producing high-quality cut fl owers with long vase lives. Along with the unique opportunity to supply the summer wedding market and proximity to worldwide air transportation out of Anchorage, she theorized that cut peonies could be a new cash crop for the state. Fast forward to today, and according to the Alaska Peony Cooperative, there are more than 40 commercial peony farms across the state. Some sources, such as the USDA/National Agriculture Statistics Service, put the number of peony farms in Alaska at more than 100. Production of peonies as cut fl owers in Alaska is weather dependent and varies on the peony farms' locations within the state, but Alaska-grown peonies are generally available from July through early to mid-September. Peony Fun Facts • The peony became the state fl ower of Indiana in 1957, replacing the Zinnia. • The peony is the offi cial fl ower of the 12th wedding anniversary. • Peonies are available in all colors except blue. • According to the "Victorian Language of Flowers," the peony has a symbolic meaning of romance, compassion, good luck, prosperity, happy marriage and bashfulness. • In feng shui, it is said that "chi" energy released by peonies attracts romantic partners, and the Chinese have long held that peonies are the fl owers of love and romance. • The city of Luoyang, China, is known as "The City of Peonies." (See "Peonies in Greek Mythology and Chinese Legend.") • During the Victorian Era, it was said that if you dug up a peony or brought a peony plant into your home, you would be visited by fl ower fairies who would put a curse on you, bringing you bad luck for the rest of your life. • In Eastern European countries, myths were told of naked nymphs and fairies hiding their bodies by turning into peony blossoms. • French painters Claude Monet and Éduoard Manet both grew and painted peonies. History Design 44 June | 2022

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