The king of flowers. In East Asia, the peony embodies honor, abundance, and the fearless beauty of late spring. She blooms without apology — layered, extravagant, brief.
To give a peony is to wish someone a life of dignity and plenty — and to remember that the most magnificent things do not last long.
“Only the peony wears the nation's true color — when she blooms, the whole capital stirs.”
Liu Yuxi · Tang Dynasty