Black Bent vs Common Peony

Agrostis gigantea compared with Paeonia officinalis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black Bent	Common Peony
Kingdom same	Plantae (plantas)	Plantae (plantas)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Saxifragales (Saxifragales)
Family	Poaceae (Grass Family)	Paeoniaceae
Genus	Agrostis	Paeonia
Species	Agrostis gigantea	Paeonia officinalis

Evolutionary Relationship

Black Bent and Common Peony share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Magnoliophyta. (Flowering Plants)

Conservation Status

Black Bent

LC — Least Concern

Common Peony

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black Bent	Common Peony
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black Bent

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (Japan), Europe (11 countries), North America (4 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (5 countries).

Common Peony

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Black Bent

The Black Bent (Agrostis gigantea) is a species in the genus Agrostis. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Common Peony

<em>Paeonia officinalis</em>, the common peony, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Paeoniaceae, widely cultivated for its large, showy flowers ranging from deep red to pink and white. In the wild, it typically grows in open woodlands, scrublands, and rocky hillsides across southern and central Europe, with native or naturalised populations documented in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Canada, and numerous other European and North American countries. The species prefers well-drained soils in partially shaded to open positions and produces large, deeply divided leaves alongside its ornamental blooms, which appear in late spring. <em>Paeonia officinalis</em> has a long history of medicinal and ornamental use spanning millennia, and numerous cultivated varieties have been developed. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting stable populations in many parts of its native range, though wild populations can be locally threatened by over-collection, agricultural expansion, and habitat conversion. Biological traits such as average lifespan of individual plants, precise dimensions, and detailed dietary or metabolic data remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. The species plays a role in supporting pollinators, particularly beetles and bees that visit its flowers.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 8 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States