The peony grants its recipient the power to keep a secret. In its tightly clenched petals, nymphs could hide.
A deep-rooted plant, the peony stands firm in the earth. A horse was needed, it was said, to pull the peony from the ground. Because of this, the peony was reputed to enhance the power of a promise. For the same reason, peonies suggested bashfulness to Victorian England.
Peonies have been cultivated in Asia for more than a thousand years. Requiring such careful cultivation, they were flowers that only the rich could afford to grow in Japan. Therefore the peony symbolizes prosperity for the Japanese.
