Chinese Peony vs Common Peony

Paeonia lactiflora compared with Paeonia officinalis

Key Differences

• Chinese Peony is Not Evaluated while Common Peony is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chinese Peony	Common Peony
Kingdom same	Plantae (plantas)	Plantae (plantas)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Saxifragales (Saxifragales)	Saxifragales (Saxifragales)
Family same	Paeoniaceae	Paeoniaceae
Genus same	Paeonia	Paeonia
Species	Paeonia lactiflora	Paeonia officinalis

Evolutionary Relationship

Chinese Peony and Common Peony share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Paeonia.

Conservation Status

Chinese Peony

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Peony

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chinese Peony	Common Peony
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chinese Peony

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (Canada, United States).

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).

Chinese Peony

The Chinese Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) is a species in the genus Paeonia. Native to Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, and Norway.

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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States