Bozhou is not only the hometown of Chinese herbaceous peony, but also the hometown of peony. The peonies are planted mainly for medicinal use, and can also be used for ornamentation.

Root barks are the main part of peony for medicinal use (flowers can also be used as medicine). The cultivation of peonies favors rich sandy soils that are warm, good in drainage and with a low water level, so Bozhou becomes a major production area of medicinal peonies.

Also known as Bo root barks, the root barks of Bozhou peony contain a relatively high medicinal value. The best root barks are characterized by a thick and long size, a thick skin, rich starch, a thick scent and rich crystal mass. Peonies that have grown for 3-5 years are picked in the earlier spring or autumn. After removing its root hairs, the root barks are peeled and dried in the sun, which are called original root barks. Or the external skins are scrapped off, which are called "scrapped root barks". Bo root barks have effects of calming one's nerves, easing pain, aiding sleep, lowering blood pressure and resisting to bacteria.

As an object for ornamentation, the peony is reputed as "king of flowers", has a long cultivation history in Bozhou and stands out from other flowers for its bright and beautiful flowers. As recorded in the Annals of Bozhou, the growing of peonies in Bozhou dated back to the Jin Dynasty. At that time, many famous best species such as Robe Yellow, Green Pearl and Peach Dew were already planted. In the North Song Dynasty, Bozhou had more than 150 species of peonies. By the Ming Dynasty, a celebrity with no official post named Xie Fengxiang in Bozhou was keen on peonies, who opened up a garden occupying a hundred acre and collected and grown famous species from different places. In the subsequent years, the planting of peonies in Bozhou flourished sometimes and declined sometimes. In order to carry forward the culture of Bozhou and represent the charm of peonies, in 1990, Bozhou City (a county level city then) decided to rebuild a peony garden near Dasi Town at vortex river (which was the former site of the peony garden in the Ming Dynasty) by growing over 300 species of ornamental peonies in different colors such as red, yellow, green, white, blue and black. Now, in every April, peonies of different colors are in full blossom and attract numerous tourists to enjoy the beauty of flowers.