Tree Peony, a birthday flower of July 24th

Tree Peony is one of the birthday flowers of July 24th annually, as is Chinese Peony. I have introduced the Chinese Peony before, so this post is about the Tree Peony. Tree Peony, called Botan in Japanese, is also the birthday flower of December 17th, but the winter variety.

Peony flowers are not in season now. They typically bloom around April and May with peak season often falling during 'Golden Week' (a period of national holidays at the end of April and early May). However, each individual flower only lasts about four to five days. This brief flowering period is part of their charm. 

In Japan, tree peonies carry a long cultural history. Their presence in Japanese poetry, gardens, and seasonal sayings, reflects how deeply they are woven into ideas of beauty and refinement. Their luxurious appearance earned them titles such as "flower king" and "flower God" in China, which carried into Japanese aesthetics too. In their Japanese language of flowers they symbolize "dignity", "wealth", "bashfulness" and compassion.