The peony is a beautiful flower cultivated more than 4000 years ago. Most species are perennial herbaceous plants with a height of 0.5 - 1.5 m, but some are woody and are shrubs up to 2 - 3 m high. The most famous are herbaceous peonies. They are typical of Asia Minor and Europe. They are prized for their beautiful colors, often colored leaves and interesting decorative pods filled with seeds. The flowers are usually translucent and arranged in one or two rows. There are thousands of varieties of peonies. They like mainly east-north, without strong sunlight. They bloom from late spring to early summer. Trees bloom later. Tree flowers are large, often double or full, with all possible colors - white, cream, yellow, orange, various shades of pink, purple and red, even violet. Peonies tolerate partial shade well, but bloom much better in the sun.