Peony

I picked some flowers in my yard the perfume is delicious. I stumbled on this peony 20 years ago in a weed patch near my former home in Mo. I moved it here 4 years ago and now it blooms for me here. A peony can live 100 years and certainly will be here when I am gone.
The peony is the traditional (floral) symbol for both Mongolia and China, and is particularly popular among Chinese artists. The root of the peony was used in folk medicine as a cure for both menstrual cramps as well as asthma. These plants are natives of North America, Asia, and southern parts of Europe, however they are renowned as hardy plants that can withstand even a harsh winter. There are about thirty species of peony, most being herbaceous while some, the tree peony, are more like a shrub.