Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Netherlands

Common name: Pioen, Pioenroos, Peony

Family: Paeoniaceae (Peony)

Synonym: Paeonia mascula subsp. arietina, Paeonia mascula var. arietina

Comments: P. arietina has a large range: Armenia, Crete, Greece, Italy, Syria, Turkey and former Yugoslavia. Arietina means "like the horn of a ram". It grows to a height of 45-75 cm. Wild plants usually have magenta-pink flowers, but many cultivars have flowers with light pink or dark red petals. The flowers are 8-12 cm. long and have obovate petals. It flowers from early to mid summer and is hardy up to -15°C.