Romania’s national flower is celebrated annually on 15 May, with the peony recognised as a symbol of Romanian soldiers’ heroism.
Efforts to secure official recognition for the peony were supported by the community “Bujorul Românesc – The Romanian Peony”, founded in 2015 by Cristina Turnagiu Dragna and Andreea Tănăsescu, creator of the “La Blouse Roumaine” project.
“We celebrated its beauty in gardens, traditions, folklore and art, and tirelessly advocated for its official recognition. After years of collective effort, the peony was finally declared the national flower by law,” the founder of the ‘La Blouse Roumaine’ project wrote on Facebook in 2025.
In recent years, the peony has also become a symbol of appreciation for war veterans and Romanian military personnel who have served in theatres of operation.
Adopted by the Romanian Ministry of National Defence and an association of wounded and disabled military veterans, the flower expresses respect, gratitude and honour towards Romanian heroes.
National Peony Day
The peony was declared Romania’s national flower through Law No. 285/2022, legislation that encourages the annual organisation of festivals, exhibitions and events dedicated to the flower, as well as the protection of natural peony reserves and its promotion in public spaces.
The law also allows for the organisation of annual horticultural festivals and floral exhibitions dedicated to the plant, both locally and nationally.
At the same time, it encourages support for natural peony reserves, the creation of dedicated spaces in parks and public gardens, and the development of botanical collections centred on the species.
The legislation further promotes the peony within the artistic and cultural sphere, including through painting exhibitions and themed philatelic issues.
A symbol of national identity
Five species of peony grow naturally in protected reserves across Romania, alongside three cultivated species and more than 100 varieties and cultivars. The flower blooms in May, with the flowering period lasting approximately ten days.
Among the best-known peony reserves are those in Comana Natural Park, the Troianu Forest Natural Reserve in Teleorman County and the Zău de Câmpie area in Mureș County.
The plant’s Latin name, Paeonia romanica peregrina, derives, according to Greek mythological tradition, from Paeon, the physician of the gods. Legend says that, in order to escape the wrath of one of the gods, he transformed himself into a peony flower.
Photo: Facebook / La Blouse Roumaine
