Heze Peonies

Heze Peonies

Heze Peonies are a protected geographical indication product.

　　Heze is located in the southwest of Shandong Province, on the ancient Yellow River Delta. It is renowned for its abundant production of peonies. With a wide variety of cultivars and a long cultivation history, Heze now has over 5,000 acres of peony fields and more than 300 flower varieties. The peonies here are known across the country for their lush foliage and vibrant blooms. Heze has long been hailed as the “Hometown of Peonies.”

　　 Peonies, with their grand and richly colored blossoms, are regarded as the king of flowers. They have traditionally been cherished as prized garden plants, China’s national flower, and a symbol of wealth, prosperity, happiness, and peace for the Chinese people. For thousands of years, they have not only brightened gardens with their imperial beauty but also left an unforgettable impression in countless works of art. They have been celebrated by poets throughout Chinese history, who praised them as the embodiment of beauty and ideals, resulting in many widely loved poems.

　　 Peonies are also known by other names such as "rat’s aunt," "deer’s leek," "white down tree peony," and "hundred taels of gold." They are also called "Luoyang flowers," "flowers of wealth," and the “king of flowers.” According to Li Shizhen’s *Compendium of Materia Medica*, “The best peonies are those with red petals. Though they bear seeds, they grow from roots and shoots, hence the name ‘peonies.’” In addition to their high ornamental value, peonies also have significant medicinal properties—their roots and bark are both valuable traditional Chinese medicines. Originally wild, peonies have developed into a large family with thousands of cultivars after one or two thousand years of artificial cultivation.

　　 Heze, anciently known as Caozhou, has long enjoyed reputations such as “a stronghold of valor” and “a major metropolis.” Blessed with abundant resources and remarkable talents throughout history, Caozhou peonies have a cultivation history spanning several hundred years. During the Song Dynasty, peonies were mostly grown in Luoyang, but starting from the Ming Dynasty, the cultivation center shifted to Caozhou. Today, Heze boasts hundreds of peony varieties and thousands of acres of peony fields. Around the Grain Rain season each year, the peonies of Caozhou stretch as far as the eye can see, glowing brilliantly like steamed clouds—an awe-inspiring spectacle that is considered among the finest in China.

　　 Heze is the world’s largest production base, research hub, export center, and viewing destination for peonies, with the most varieties. Currently, it has 50,000 acres under cultivation, featuring nine major color series and over 600 varieties. These peonies are sold in more than 100 large and medium-sized cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, and are exported to over 20 countries and regions such as Japan, France, and Canada. Heze peonies are grand, richly colored, and fragrant, embodying the essence of a national flower. At the 1999 Kunming World Horticultural Exposition, they won a total of 81 awards.

　　 Heze peonies, historically also referred to as Caozhou peonies, are famed for their “large blooms, vivid colors, elegant shapes, and strong fragrance,” making them “the best in the nation.” The characteristics of Heze peonies include upright and well-shaped branches, lush and gracefully shaped leaves, and grand, luxurious blossoms, earning them recognition as the finest among ornamental peonies.