How long is the history of Luoyang Peony?

History of Peony in Luoyang: "The flower of Luoyang is the most suitable, and the peony in the world is especially strange." China is the hometown of peony, and Luoyang is one of the birthplaces of peony in China. Luoyang peony is famous for its large flowers, bright colors and wealth. Peony has many uses, such as ornamental and medicinal. China's first medical masterpiece, Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica (22 1-206 BC), recorded the medicinal use of peony bark. For a long time, people think that peony is used as an ornamental plant later than medicine. In fact, on the contrary, in China's first collection of poems, The Book of Songs (84 BC1year) and Zheng Guofeng, there are poems in which young men and women give peony flowers to each other during their spring outing to express their love. Therefore, peony is regarded as a flower in China, which can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period as early as 3000 years ago.

Peony, as an ornamental plant, was cultivated artificially at least in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. According to the Liu Bin Tales in the Tang Dynasty, there were painted peonies in the Northern Qi Dynasty, and in the Taiping Magnolia written by Xie in the Southern Song Dynasty, there were many peonies in the bamboo forests in Yongjia (now Wenzhou). Since the discovery of the name "peony", it marks the beginning of peony cultivation history. In the Sui Dynasty (6th century AD), people opened up special gardens to grow ornamental plants. For example, in The Sea, it says, "Emperor Yang Di opened up 200 miles of land for the West Garden and ordered flowers to enter the world. Yizhou bought 20 boxes of peonies, including Honghong, Feilaihong, Yuan Jiahong, Zui Hong Yan, Yun Hong, Tianwaihong, Yifu Huang, Yan Huang An, Xianchunhong and Feng Jiao.

In the Tang Dynasty (6 18-907), the cultivation of peony was particularly prosperous in Chang 'an. The poet Bai Juyi's poem "Buy Flowers" said: "The imperial city is dying in spring, and it is noisy for a while; * * * If you say peony, you will buy flowers with you. The price is impermanent, the number of flowers is rewarded, hundreds of red flowers are burning, and five bundles of elements are pressed ... Everyone is used to it and everyone is obsessed. " Look at the grand occasion of Chang' an buying flowers and enjoying them in the prosperous times. Due to the improvement of cultivation techniques and breeding methods, double-petal and semi-double-petal varieties were selected from the original single-petal varieties. For example, in Miscellanies of Du Yang, Mu Zong planted Chiba peony and bloom in front of the palace, and the fragrance was very attractive. A chiba, big and red.

In the Song Dynasty (960- 1279), the peony cultivation center was moved from Chang 'an to Luoyang. Ouyang Xiu said: "Every family in Luoyang has flowers, but there are few big trees, so it is difficult to cover them." Planting techniques have also been greatly improved. The plants were selected by bud mutation, and then propagated and transferred by grafting to select a number of excellent horticultural varieties. There are 55 varieties recorded in Zhou's "Luoyang Peony Story".

In the Southern Song Dynasty (1 127- 1279), in addition to branching and grafting, methods of selecting excellent varieties by using seedlings were also discovered. For example, the poet Lu You not only recorded 65 species of peony in Tian Peng Peony Spectrum, but also described the variation of seedlings sown and propagated: those that are "Shaoxing Spring", those that are auspicious clouds, those that are reddish in color and particularly rich in flowers, and those that are large in diameter, all spread in Shaoxing. Generally, florists have all kinds of flowers to watch their changes, not just auspicious clouds.

By the Ming Dynasty (1368- 1644), 13 1 variety had been recorded in group houses. In Guo Fengxiang's Mi Zhou Peony Table, peony is divided into six grades, and the colors and patterns are also increasing. The book also describes the peony's young age of two years, weak age of four years, strong age of six years, strong age of eight years, and the time and method of grafting and branching. At this time, the cultivation center of peony moved from Luoyang to Bozhou, Anhui. By the Qing Dynasty, Cao Zhou (Heze) had become the national peony cultivation center. The planting area is more than 500 mu. Export more than100000 plants every year. Shipped to Guangzhou, Tianjin, Beijing, Hankou, Xi, Jinan and other places.

China Peony has made great contributions in the history of peony breeding in the world. The parents of the main peony horticultural varieties in the world originally came from China. China peony spread to Japan from about 724 to 749 AD, and it is said that it was brought by monks from the empty sea. Later, the Dutch East India Company introduced China Peony to the Netherlands on 1655. It was introduced to Britain in 1789. So that China peony spread to Britain, French and other countries. Around 1880, Paeonia suffruticosa originated in China was introduced to France, and France took Paeonia suffruticosa as its parent and bred a number of yellow varieties around 1900. Including today's Japanese yellow varieties, such as Goldfinch and Di Chin.

At present, China is still the world peony cultivation center, ranking first in quantity and variety.

At present, there are about 6 10 varieties of peony in Luoyang, of which Luoyang varieties account for one third. Its main varieties are: Luoyang Red, Luoyang Spring, Luoyang Gold, Bride, Tongzi Noodle, Xuefo Pagoda, Luminous White, Big Peach Red, Pomegranate Red, Jingezi, Guifei Tea Cui, Jiuduhong, Gongxiang Demon, Panzhong Caiguo, Luoshen, Acacia Gum, Pink Goose Gum, Dahongpao, Yao Huang, Wei Zi and so on. Heze peony has, silver powder and gold scales, fat red, eggplant, smoke cage purple, red dragon changing color, mallow, purple Paris, vermilion base, Dan furnace flame, Wengong red, Kunshan luminous, He, after the rain clears, Shengdan furnace, Dahuhong, Tongchun, Yanchi and so on. There are 589 varieties (series) in Cao Zhou Peony Map published by 1992, including 247 red varieties, 9 green series, 89 pink series 105, 89 purple series, 24 ink series, 35 white ones, 67 yellow ones. The Luoyang Municipal People's Government attaches great importance to the restoration and development of peony, and has successively established various peony production and operation institutions and peony cultivation bases, organized garden technicians to collect lost varieties, expand propagation, improve cultivation techniques, carry out new variety cultivation, high grafting propagation, cutting propagation, potted plant and bonsai production, and promote the technology of planting inhibition (extension), and won international, national, provincial and ministerial level awards for science and technology and exhibition1. 1982, the Standing Committee of Luoyang Municipal People's Congress passed a resolution to officially name peony as the "city flower" of Luoyang, and decided to hold the Luoyang Peony Flower Festival from April 15 to 25 every year. The policy of "making friends with flowers, developing economy and revitalizing Luoyang" has been well implemented. Luoyang peony is also famous in the world. With the pace of the times, Luoyang peony has crossed the ocean and entered more than 20 countries and regions, becoming a link and bridge connecting the friendship of people in famous countries.