Only peonies are the true national color, and they move the capital when they bloom! It’s a good time of year to enjoy peonies again, and Luoyang is the best place to view them. Recently, a double-peduncle peony made a stunning appearance in the National Garden of China.Two huge corollas grow symbiotically on the same branch, with petals stacked like brocade, and glowing with warmth in the morning dew. They have become the focus of the 2026 Luoyang Peony Culture Festival..
Horticultural experts estimate that the probability of a naturally growing peony appearing is only one in ten million, which is rarer than the lottery jackpot!
It is understood that this double-peduncle peony variety is Wei Zi, which is a natural mutation rather than artificial grafting. When it was first discovered, the staff suspected that it was artificially processed. After careful inspection, it was confirmed that the structure of the flower branches is intact, and it is indeed a miracle of heaven and earth.
Its formation originates from genetic mutations during the flower bud differentiation stage, which requires precise matching of environmental factors such as temperature, light, and moisture, and abnormal fluctuations in endogenous hormones, prompting the meristem to divide into double flower primordia.
This kind of mutation cannot be stably inherited, and the same plant has a high probability of blooming on a single head the following year, which can be called a "once-in-a-thousand-year" accidental spectacle.
"Peony with two stems" has been regarded as an auspicious flower since ancient times, carrying profound cultural implications. The poet Li Shangyin of the Tang Dynasty once described the appearance of twin peonies. "Luoyang Famous Garden" also recorded the grand appearance of peonies with two stems in the Northern Song Dynasty, continuing the cultural context of thousands of years.
In order to protect this rare flower, the scenic spot has arranged four security guards to be on duty 24 hours a day to prevent tourists from touching and damaging it. At the same time, protective fences have been added to ensure its safe blooming.
