Taprooted plant with short horizontal rhizome. Leafy stem, 70-100 cm or more. Leaves biternate, with lanceolate or elliptical lobes. Flowers large, 10-18 cm diam., white, pink or red. V - early spring to mid autumn, in St. Petersburg May-September. Fl - May-June for 2-3 weeks. Fr - July-August. P - by seed or by division. Plant in full sun, on well-drained soil. The majority of peony cultivars represent the results of selection in this species. Z 4.

Siberia (Dahuria), Far East (southern regions), eastern Mongolia, China, Korea; naturalized in Japan. Open forest edges, stony slopes of subalpine zone.