Peonies are prized flowers. But it’s their roots that have farmers interested

With their bright colours, delicate perfumes, and fluffy heads, peonies have long been a popular cut flower — and a profitable, if not a little risky, crop for those who grow them.

But new research could reveal a whole new revenue stream lying under the ground.

For centuries, the roots of the paeonia lactiflora, or common Chinese peony, have been valued in traditional Chinese medicine for their anti-inflammatory properties.

As of September, there were 4,851 practitioners registered in Australia with the Chinese Medicine Board, a nearly 30 per cent increase in the last decade.

Globally, the multi-billion-dollar industry has also been gaining traction, and some Australian farmers are ready to cash in.

But, first they must prove peonies grown here are just as good as their overseas counterparts, something PhD candidate with the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) Celia van Sprang will spend the next two years investigating.

Field work to test properties

“In China, peonies are mainly produced for the roots, whereas in Australia they are produced for the flowers,” Ms van Sprang said.

“Peony roots are the primary plant part used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) where the key bioactive, paeoniflorin, is produced.”

Ms van Sprang has set up a two-year trial involving peony farms in the north of Tasmania, where she will look at both pre and post-harvest factors that may affect levels of paeoniflorin in the roots, including fertiliser use and flower bud removal.

The PhD student’s research forms part of a wider push by TIA to explore the possibilities of selling local crops in the TCM market, a move it says would be a huge economic benefit for agriculture in the state.

Although it’s early days, Ms van Sprang believes Australian-grown flowers are already showing promise.

Root system backup plan

That’s good news for a flower farmer like Mark Beech, who runs a peony farm in the rolling hills of Tasmania’s north-west, at Nietta.

At the tail end of each spring, Mr Beech and his team gear up for an intense, “very stressful” picking season, hoping for weather that won’t destroy the fragile blooms before they can pick and pack them in crates destined for interstate flower markets.

Less than two months of picking generates enough income to pay wages and sustain the farm for the rest of the year.

But it can have its risks.

“Because our season is so short and in such a concentrated part of the year, we are prone to risks,” Mr Beech admitted.

“For example, a couple of years ago, we had snow on our peonies as they were growing, which almost destroyed some varieties.

“And so having a use for the root system, which you can dig out at a different stage of the year is an advantage.”

Supply close to home 

While the university and farmers are eyeing the lucrative Asian market, the crops may also have local benefits.

Maria Zong imports Chinese herbal medicines for her busy Hobart practice, and peony is a popular ingredient.

“It’s one of the most commonly used herbs in Chinese medicine,” she said.

Peonies, especially white ones, are important for treating the liver.

“Combined with other herbs they can form hundreds of thousands of formulas for a wide range of conditions,” she said.

She would love a local supply.

She believes demand in Australia and internationally for Australian-grown peony roots would be strong and would help cut down on wait times.

“If the quality is good and the main ingredient is a high percentage, or abundant, I think that is a very good thing,” she said.

“Some of the herbs I need to wait for a month before it comes and one of the herbs, I’m still waiting for half a year.”