Paeonia californica
Encyclopedia
Paeonia californica is one of two species
of Peony
native to North America
. It is endemic
to southwest California
, United States
, where it grows on dry hillsides in the coastal sage scrub
and chaparral
communities of the coastal mountains of Southern and Central California, often as an understory
plant.
It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the other Paeonia species native to North America, Paeonia brownii
.
broad-leafed perennial herb or sub-shrub less than 0.5 m high by 1 m wide. Its foliage is highly lobed
, roughly 10 cm. in length. The top of the leaves are dark green, with paler undersides. It flowers in from January to March, bearing elliptic (cup-shaped) drooping flowers. Petals are dark maroon in color.
landscaping and xeriscaping
. It is drought-tolerant and is moisture sensitive in the summer, when its swollen root will rot if watered. It prefers partial sun and tolerates a variety of soil types. Deer seem to avoid eating this plant.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of Peony
Peony
Peony or paeony is a name for plants in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America...
native to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to southwest California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it grows on dry hillsides in the coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
and chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
communities of the coastal mountains of Southern and Central California, often as an understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
plant.
It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the other Paeonia species native to North America, Paeonia brownii
Paeonia brownii
Paeonia brownii , is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Paeoniaceae, native to the western United States, growing in dry sagebrush and Ponderosa Pine country...
.
Description
The California Peony is a summer-deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
broad-leafed perennial herb or sub-shrub less than 0.5 m high by 1 m wide. Its foliage is highly lobed
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
, roughly 10 cm. in length. The top of the leaves are dark green, with paler undersides. It flowers in from January to March, bearing elliptic (cup-shaped) drooping flowers. Petals are dark maroon in color.
Cultivation
The California Peony has entered limited cultivation in native plantNative plant
Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
landscaping and xeriscaping
Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping and xerogardening refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation...
. It is drought-tolerant and is moisture sensitive in the summer, when its swollen root will rot if watered. It prefers partial sun and tolerates a variety of soil types. Deer seem to avoid eating this plant.