Ningguo Peony

Ningguo Peony

Ningguo peony is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Ningguo peony is a specialty of Ningguo, Xuancheng City, Anhui Province.

　　Ningguo peony has been cultivated since the Jin Dynasty, continuing through the Tang, Song, and Yuan Dynasties, and flourished significantly during the Ming Dynasty. In August 1981, the Nanji Peony Garden was established in Ningguo. Over the past ten-plus years, the garden’s staff have searched extensively and collected several rare ancient species from the Jiangnan region. Through careful cultivation, they now have 20 varieties in colors such as “Xi Shi,” “Qing Luo,” “Si Xuan,” “Zhi Yun,” “Yun Fang,” “Yu Lou,” and “Feng Wei.” The peony garden spans a planting area of 30,000 square meters, featuring four major color series—crimson, pink, purplish-red, and white—with more than 50,000 peony plants. Today, the two major peony gardens in Ningguo, Nanji and Qingshan, have cultivated three main types of peonies: single-petal, double-petal, and thousand-petal. Based on flower morphology and changes in stamens and pistils, they are divided into six types: lotus-shaped, rose-shaped, sunflower-shaped, flat-top, hydrangea-shaped, and crown-shaped. Ningguo peonies feature well-developed root systems with many lateral roots, and are heat- and moisture-resistant. They are known in southern China for their large blooms, vibrant colors, double petals, beautiful shapes, and fragrant aroma, forming a distinctive southern style. Professor Yu Heng, a leading contemporary Chinese peony expert, commented: “Ningguo peony is the main representative of the Jiangnan peony group.” As the saying goes, “View peonies three days after Grain Rain.” Every year around mid-April, when the Ningguo peonies are in full bloom, the colorful blossoms form a sea of flowers. Layers of terraced fields burst into bloom, with butterflies fluttering among them, creating a breathtaking scene of vibrant hues and a sea of both flowers and visitors. Tourists flock here from all directions to admire the blossoms, leaving enchanted and amazed.

　　The Complete Book of Chinese Peonies states: “During the Qing Dynasty, Jiangnan peonies were primarily cultivated in Ningguo, focusing on ornamental varieties. The peonies grown in Hangzhou’s West Lake Flower Harbor Park mainly came from the southern peonies of Ningguo.” The cultivation of Chinese peonies has long been described as “Luoyang in the north, Ningguo in the south.” Ningguo peonies are famed across the Jiangnan region for their heat resistance and adaptability to the rainy climate of the south; for their large, richly colored double petals; and for their diverse flower forms, shallow roots, and long blooming period. In May 2008, at the China Peony Industry Development Seminar and China Peony Annual Conference held in Luonan City, Henan Province, the Nanji Peony Garden in Ningguo was included in the Chinese National Flower Archives.

　　In addition to being sold to scenic spots in Suzhou such as the Lion Grove, Wangjing Mountain Villa, Humble Administrator’s Garden, and Lingering Garden, as well as to cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangdong, Fujian, Yunnan, Nanjing, and Hefei across more than ten provinces and municipalities, Ningguo peonies are also exported to Europe and America.

　　Ningguo peonies enjoy widespread fame across Jiangnan.