Mu Dan Hua

Mu Dan Hua

China’s national flower is the ‘mu dan’ (peony). (Hua is the Chinese word for flower, pronounced h’wa)

Mu dan hua is a most beautiful flower. In China, many artists draw the ‘mu dan’ hua. If you have been to China you can see pictures of the famous flower everywhere. Chinese people love the ‘mu dan’ hua. Not just because it is beautiful, but because it has a special place in Chinese culture. It represents nobleness and richness and honour. Why?

In China’s five thousand year history, there was been just one female Emperor. Her name was Wu Zetian. She became a legend.

An extremely beautiful woman, when she was fourteen years old she became Emperor Tang Taizong’s (Tang dynasty) imperial concubine. After Tang Taizong died, she became Tang Taizong’s son’s (Tang Gaozong) wife. She was a highly intelligent woman and helped her husband manage state affairs. After Tang Gaozong died, Wu Zetian through a series of palace intrigues, murders and plots became Empress. She changed the Tang dynasty to the Zhou dynasty. The Zhou dynasty stabilized the economy and made the country strong.

When she became old, she craved even more greatness and success. Her life had become one of extravagance. She ruled with absolute power, no-one dared disobey her. The ‘mu dan’ legend is from this time.

The Story began in the depths of winter during a huge snowstorm. Wu Zetian was in her palace keeping out of the biting cold. She was sitting in front of a warm fire, drinking bai jiu (white wine) and writing poetry. She became drunk and in one of the poems she announced, ‘ tomorrow I am going to visit the garden. You must let all the flowers know, so that they will open for my visit.’

All the flowers feared her, so that even though it was the depth of winter they started to open. Just the ‘mu dan’ hua didn’t open. In the morning when Wu Zetian went to the garden she saw all the flowers. It was like a rainbow scattered across the virgin snow; she was so happy.

As she looked around in delight, she saw that one shrub hadn’t flowered. She asked, “what is this flower’s name?” Someone answered, “this is ‘mu dan’ hua.” She was beside herself with anger, and she ordered the ‘mu dan’ plant be taken to Luo Yang city. ( Luo Yang is a very very cold and distant place in the far north of China. When the mu dan hua was planted in Luo Yang it opened immediately. It was so beautiful in the stark landscape. This made Wu Zetian even more angry. She gave orders to burn all the ‘mu dan’ plants in Luo Yang. They were burned to the ground so that just black ashes and charred stumps covered the earth. However, soon after, the first green shoots appeared out from the soil. When next spring arrived the ‘mu dan’ hua opened and was even more beautiful than before. There is no flower as flamboyant and fragrant as the ‘mu dan’ hua. It is the apex of flowers.

The ‘mu dan’ hua represents high-principle. It does not fear power, and is stands strong. It is resilient in the face of adversity.

So the Chinese people love the ‘mu dan’ hua. Not just its beauty but also its high principle.

Chinese Painting - How to Paint Peony (Mu Dan Hua) China's National Flower (Video Tutorial)

How to Grow

Peonies are hardy perennials with large, fragrant blooms and lush green foliage. Once established, they will grace your garden for many years.

Peonies (PAEONIA) are large, hardy perennials with fragrant blooms and dark green foliage. Many varieties are drought tolerant, can withstand very cold winter temperatures (hardy to zone 3), and naturally repel garden pests.

Planting Peonies

Peony occurrs in most regions of the world. It can grow quite large and needs room to spread out. When preparing a spot for your plants, select a sunny area that receives six to eight hours of sunlight a day. Give each plant rich soil to a depth of fifteen inches and a square yard in area. Peonies develop an extensive root system, so don't stint on providing them with plenty of space, rich soil, and don't make them compete with tree roots.

Autumn (Fall) is the best time to plant. If planting from root divisions, make sure that each section has three to five buds (eyes) attached to its root. Settle the plant so that the highest bud is about two inches below the surface of the soil. Firm the soil into place. Be careful to check for water pooling around the plant. Peony roots are sensitive to prolonged exposure to water, so make sure that there is no standing water near the crown or roots.

Your peonies will take two years to get well established and can reach a maximum height of between 18 to 30 inches. In the second year, they will produce sparse blooms, and by the third year they will be ready to put on a show for you. Once established, you can ensure large blooms by pinching back some of the flower buds in spring.

When harvesting blooms, be careful to avoid stressing the plant by removing too many leaves. Try to avoid harvesting flowers from plants less than three years old, and never take more than half the blooms from any established plants.

Winter - Peonies need the cold in order to complete their seasonal growth cycle. During this dormancy period don't provide winter mulch to your plants as this will invite disease. Trim back your plants to just above ground level in the Autumn (fall) and leave them to overwinter unattended.

Summer - In the hot weather mulch your peonies to help them retain moisture. They are attractive to insects and may need more pest control than your other flowering plants. One effective method of natural insect control is to plant peonies with herbs like rue, garlic, santolina, and tansy. As they begin to leaf, peonies will also need a wire or wooden support to contain their lush and heavy growth.

Propagating Peonies

Propagate peonies by division in Autumn (fall). Remove the plant from the soil and break it into pieces with a spade. Each segment you cut should have a portion of root attached with at least three buds, preferably more. Established plants don't become overcrowded as quickly as many other species, so they don't need to be thinned as often.

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