Herbaceous Peony (Paeonia): Genetics, Physiology and Cut Flower Production

Peony (Paeonia spp.) is one of the most popular garden plants in temperate regions. They were introduced into cultivation in China hundreds of years ago, and have since been spread widely to many countries. According to morphological traits and life form, the genus is divided into tree and herbaceous peonies. Numerous cultivars of herbaceous peonies have been developed to satisfy demand for colors, fragrance, flowering time, and disease resistance. In the last two decades, the popularity of peonies as cut flowers has resurged, and has resulted in additional requirement for new research, production methods and postharvest technology. Today, more than 25 countries produce cut peony flowers, with the primary markets being in Europe and the USA. Despite the popularity of herbaceous peonies, their production and use are restricted due to a lack of reliable systems for mass propagation, a long juvenile period, complicated flowering physiology and ineffective postharvest handling procedures. In this review, highlights of the recent scientific research in herbaceous peony are presented, along with up-to-date information on peony propagation, postharvest handling and cut flower marketing. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________