Native to Asia, Europe, and the Western part of North America, peonies are herbaceous shrubs. These tend to bloom with flowers around late spring and early summer. There are around 33 species of peonies that exist today. The flowers of this plant, are the national flower of Taiwan. This also existed as the national flower of China under the Qing Dynasty in 1903. 

Peony roots are often used for medicinal purposes in traditional Chinese medicine. Peony root may be taken orally as an extract or made into peony root tea. 

The taste of the roots can range from mildly bitter to sour, to sweet. 

Botanical Name: Paeonia officinalis 

Also known as: Ood Saleeb, Bai Shao, Bai Moutan, 白牡丹根