Paeonia brownii
Brown's peony
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Paeoniaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Paeonia brownii (Brown's peony) is a native California herb in the Paeoniaceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by northern distribution and smaller petals (8-13 mm).
Brown's peony is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, northern and north-central Sierra Nevada, southeastern San Francisco Bay Area (Mount Hamilton), Modoc Plateau, and northern Sierra Nevada east in open, dry pine forest and scrub at elevations of 200 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces deep red to maroon flowers with petals 8 to 13 millimeters long. Growing with generally simple stems, it forms an upright clump 30 to 50 centimeters tall. Its distinctive leaves have primary divisions 3 to 6 centimeters long with ultimate leaf segments that are nearly elliptical and tapered at the base. The large seed pods reach 2 to 4 centimeters in length, containing seeds approximately 11 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated with no sympatric species. Distinguished by northern distribution and smaller petals (8-13 mm).
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, dry pine forest, scrub
Elevation: 200-3000 m
California counties: Mendocino, Siskiyou, Shasta, Modoc, Plumas, El Dorado, Santa Clara, Calaveras, Placer, Mono, Lassen, Nevada, Lake, Sierra, San Diego, Butte, Alpine, Amador, Trinity, San Bernardino, Tehama, Tuolumne, Humboldt, Colusa, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara
Outside California: to Washington, Wyoming, Nevada
Bloom period
Paeonia brownii blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Rosa: Peonies have sepals that enlarge around fruit; roses have sepals that fall away or wither.; vs Delphinium: Peonies have radially symmetric flowers with persistent sepals; delphiniums have spurred, irregular flowers.; vs Camellia: Peonies are herbaceous wildflowers in mountains; camellias are evergreen woody shrubs in gardens.; vs Artemisia: Peonies have large colorful flowers with visible petals; sagebrush has tiny inconspicuous flowers in clusters.; vs Dahlia: Peonies have simple flowers with distinct petals; dahlias have composite flower heads with ray and disk flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paeonia brownii native to California?
Yes. Paeonia brownii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Paeonia brownii bloom?
Paeonia brownii blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Paeonia brownii grow?
Paeonia brownii occurs in Mendocino, Siskiyou, Shasta, Modoc, Plumas, El Dorado, Santa Clara, Calaveras and other counties, at elevations of 200-3000 m.
What plant family does Paeonia brownii belong to?
Paeonia brownii is in the Paeoniaceae family, genus Paeonia.
What habitat does Paeonia brownii grow in?
Paeonia brownii grows in Open, dry pine forest, scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.