).
As you can see from our stems above, peonies come in a variety of colors, namely white, pink, magenta, red, burgundy, peach, and yellow. In addition to many colors, the peony can also convey many meanings. It can suggest healing or good health and a happy life. At the same time, it can also represent anger and indignation, which makes the peony a pretty conflicted flower if you ask me. Peonies can also represent a happy marriage, and are associated with a 12th wedding anniversary.
We once again travel back to ancient Greece for the name of the peony. Peonies are named after Paeon, who was a student of the Greek god of healing and medicine, Asclepius. That inspires the associations with healing and good health. Unfortunately for Paeon, he was not so lucky. Asclepius became very jealous of him, and in a last ditch effort to save Paeon, Zeus turned him into a peony. Good for us; not as good for Paeon.
So peonies have been at the source of conflict from the start. One thing that is pretty easy to agree on is that the peony is a very beautiful flower, and works well by itself or with others. They’d be a great addition to a wedding, and the bride would be delighted to know that it’s a symbol of a happy marriage.
Just don’t tell her the stuff about Paeon.
-Chris
Thanks to John Henry for the floral fan deck, which provided the meanings of the peony, and their guide Fresh Flowers Volume 3, which provided some basic information. Both are available at Shinoda Design Center, and are full of information about many varieties of flowers.
And thanks to wikipedia for some additional information about the name. Wikipedia can be found on the internet at www.wikipedia.org.