common garden peony
Paeonia lactiflora · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (1150 studies) · ★★★★★
Common garden peony, scientifically known as Paeoonia lactiflora, is a perennial herb revered both for its breathtaking blooms and profound medicinal properties. Traditionally used in Eastern medicine, its roots contain bioactive compounds like paeoniflorin, offering powerful anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant effects to support overall hormonal and cardiovascular health.
Names
Common Names
- garden peony
- white peony
- common garden peony
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Paeonia lactea
- Peonía híbrida
- Paeonia albiflora
- Paeonia reevesiana
- Rosa de monte
- Peonia híbrida
- Paeonia sinensis
- Peonia hibrida
- Paeonia fragrans
- Paeonia chinensis
- Paeonia edulis
- Peonía china
- Peonia china
German:
- Chinesische Pfingstrose
- Milchweiße Pfingstrose
- Edel-Pfingstrose
- chinesische Pfingstrose
- Milchweiße Pfingstrose
French:
- Pivoine de Chine
- Peonia lactiflora
- pivoine de Chine
- Pivoine Blanche
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Paeonia lactifloraSynonyms
- Paeonia lactiflora f. nuda
- Paeonia humei
- Paeonia albiflora
- Paeonia albiflora var. edulis
- Paeonia albiflora var. fragrans
- Paeonia albiflora f. hirta
- Paeonia albiflora var. humei
- Paeonia albiflora f. nuda
- Paeonia albiflora f. pilifera
- Paeonia albiflora f. pilosella
- Paeonia albiflora var. pottsii
- Paeonia albiflora var. pubescens
- Paeonia albiflora var. purpurea
- Paeonia albiflora var. spontanea
- Paeonia albiflora var. trichocarpa
- Paeonia albiflora var. whitleyi
- Paeonia yui
- Paeonia whitleyi
- Paeonia makoya
- Paeonia lactiflora var. hirta
- Paeonia lactiflora f. pilosella
- Paeonia lactiflora var. trichocarpa
- Paeonia lactiflora var. villosa
- Paeonia fragrans
- Paeonia edulis
- Paeonia edulis var. reevesiana
- Paeonia edulis var. sinensis
- Paeonia sinensis
- Paeonia reevesiana
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is situated in the order Saxifragales and the family Paeoniaceae. Finally, it is identified by its genus, Paeonia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Saxifragales | WCVP |
| Family | Paeoniaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Paeonia | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific distribution pattern across several regions of the European continent. In Northern Europe, its presence is documented in Denmark and Finland. The species can also be found growing within the territories of Sweden and Great Britain. Moving toward the center of the continent, it extends into Middle Europe. Specifically, its range includes the geographic area of Czechia-Slovakia.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | Denmark | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Finland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Great Britain | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Sweden | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Czechia-Slovakia | WCVP |
| Siberia | Chita | WCVP |
| Russian Far East | Amur | WCVP |
| Russian Far East | Khabarovsk | WCVP |
| Russian Far East | Primorye | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Paeonia lactiflora, is highly valued in traditional medicine for its various therapeutic components. The most significant part used for medicinal purposes is the roots, specifically the thick, fleshy root structures that develop underground. When prepared for herbal remedies, the dried root is typically harvested and processed to preserve its active compounds. Commonly referred to as peony root, this substance serves as the primary ingredient in many decoctions and tinctures. While the leaves are a visible part of the plant's foliage, they are generally not the focus of medicinal extraction compared to the potent underground portions.| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| roots | Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica (and other 12 sources) | ★★★★★ |
| root | Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (and other 11 sources) | ★★★★★ |
| dried root | Journal of natural medicines (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| peony root | Archives of pharmacal research (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| dried roots | Frontiers in plant science (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flowers | Journal of chromatographic science (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | Journal of chromatographic science (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Radix | Pharmaceutical biology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Roots | Journal of separation science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dry roots | International journal of molecular sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Paeonia lactiflora has 182 reported phytochemicals identified across 45 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Paeoniflorin, Albiflorin, Gallic acid, Benzoylpaeoniflorin, PAEONOL.
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Paeoniflorin | Dr. Duke (and other 30 sources) | ★★★★★ |
| Albiflorin | Dr. Duke (and other 16 sources) | ★★★★★ |
| Gallic acid | Dr. Duke (and other 12 sources) | ★★★★★ |
| Benzoylpaeoniflorin | Dr. Duke (and other 8 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| PAEONOL | Dr. Duke (and other 8 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| benzoic acid | Dr. Duke (and other 8 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| CATECHIN | Frontiers in plant science (and other 7 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| Flavonoids | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 6 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| METHYL GALLATE | Dr. Duke (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Oxypaeoniflorin | Dr. Duke (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
Activities
Paeonia lactiflora has 426 reported activities identified across 45 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Neuroprotective, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antidiabetic.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 6 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antiinflammatory | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anticonvulsant | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antilithic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antipyretic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Paeonia lactiflora has 65 reported medicinal uses identified across 45 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include depression, anti-allergic, Parkinson's disease, antioxidant, apoptosis.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| depression | Reviews in the neurosciences (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| anti-allergic | Journal of natural medicines (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Parkinson's disease | International journal of molecular sciences (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antioxidant | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| apoptosis | International journal of molecular sciences (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| arthritis | Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diarrhea | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gastric ulcer | Pathology, research and practice (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| liver cancer | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| oxidative DNA damage | Archives of pharmacal research (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| root | Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Chishao | Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-beta-d-glucose (PGG) from the roots | Cancer letters (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 60% ethanol extract of the roots | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Chinese herbal medicine | Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Chinese medicinal herb | Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Methyl gallate (MG) | Archives of pharmacal research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Monascus-fermented | Botanical studies (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| PRR | Phytochemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Paeonia lactiflora ethanol precipitation | Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |