Tree peonies are deciduous subshrubs in the Paeonia section of Moutan from the Paeoniaceae and include nine wildspecies and one cultivated specie with more than one thousand cultivars. All of tree peony wild species are native to China, andthey are the important parental resources for excellent variety breeding of tree peony. In view of severely damaged and endangered status of wild tree peony species, based on the reference of literatures, investigation of their original habitat,telephone consulting, and team research findings about wild tree peony species, we summarized the classification, current distribution regions and numbers of wild species, and its application in genetic breeding of tree peony. In addition, we reviewedthe contribution of wild species on phylogenetic evolution of tree peony, and the development of their oil and edible value.Finally, according to the current status of collection and conservation of wild species and research progress of wild species in ourteam, we summarized the conservation strategies of wild tree peony species and it provides reference for conserving wild treepeony species in the future.

Paeonia  /  tree peony  /  wild species of tree peony  /  present state of tree peony resources