Paeonia suffruticosa (moutan, "Botan")

Japanese name: ボタン （牡丹）
Scientific name: Paeonia suffruticosa

[Overview]
A deciduous shrub 2 m tall.
The leaves are alternate and twice ternately compound, with a whitish bloom on the underside.
A single flower is borne at the tip of each branch.
The flowers are about 10–30 cm across and open facing upward.
The stamens are yellow and very conspicuous.
A reddish-purple disc surrounds the pistil.
The flowers are fragrant.
By flower form, cultivars include single, semi-double, double, and fully double types, among others.

[History]
In China it has long been cultivated as a medicinal tree, and because of the beauty of its flowers it is often used as a subject of poetry and painting.
It was introduced to Japan as a medicinal plant in the Heian period, and more than 300 cultivars were created in the Edo period.

[Uses]
The root bark is used medicinally.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by grafting.
It prefers a sunny site with well-drained, moisture-retentive soil.
Grow it in a breezy place that avoids strong afternoon sun and dryness in summer and cold winds in winter.
For potted plants, from spring to autumn water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, then gradually reduce watering and keep it on the dry side during the dormant season.
For plants in the ground, watering is not particularly necessary unless the soil becomes extremely dry.
A lack of fertilizer reduces flowering, so in addition to basal fertilizer, apply slow-release fertilizer after flowering and in autumn.
It dislikes being repotted, so plant it in a large pot and avoid repotting as much as possible.
Pests and diseases include black spot, powdery mildew, longhorn beetle larvae (teppomushi), and scale insects.

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