| California Peony |
| Paeonia californica |
| Family: Paeoniaceae |
| Flowers — color: maroon, size: 1", type: inverted cup |
The dark flower of California Peony hangs like a bell from the top of the plant, its weight bending the stem. The flower looks fairly full and is about one inch wide. Several green sepals, sunburnt or tinged to purple, form the outermost layer. Next come five to six petals, colors grading from purple to maroon to red. These petals don't open fully, and encase myriad stamens with yellow anthers. Inside reside three green carpels where the seeds develop.
Habit:
California Peony is a perennial herb that grows in the rainy season and dies back by summer. It owes its persistence to what some writers call a 'swollen root', or yam-like structure, that survives the summer drought. The Chumash used it for medicine. Unfortunately, this root makes the plant susceptible to rotting under summer irrigation. Despite its striking foliage and flowers, this wild peony becomes a poor choice for suburban gardens.
One or more green and red-tinged branched stems rise to at least 2' high. The side branches hold a triplet of leaves, two in opposition and one terminal. Each ornate leaf has multiple lobes, and those lobes may be multiple as well. A branching network of veins centers each lobe and sub-lobe, lighter color on the top surface of the leaf and thicker on the bottom side.
Shady areas in oak woodlands.