Paeonia californica; Finding Presence with Juxtaposition & Everyday Beauty

One of my favorite local flowers; is one that I didn’t even stumble across until I was just entering my third decade of life.  It is a flower that until then had either hidden itself so well from my view or just simply hadn’t had the proper conditions to flourish in a noticeable way before that moment. 

My bet is on the former; as I am sure this particular flower has always been gracing the hillsides with its beauty to some degree; but being as it is a flower that can easily slip by undetected if you are not looking for it; I likely just never took notice. 

Paeonia californica; The California Peony is a subtle beauty that shows up in late winter and early spring.  It is not rare in wilder spaces; but requires a specific set of conditions that include dry summer dormancy and an understory of higher growing chaparral, making its appearance particular and sometimes well hidden.  It is also known to show up in greater abundance following a wildfire; which is likely why I first noticed it in the early spring of 2018, just after The Thomas Fire (The largest in the state of California for a short while, before a fierce few seasons of drought fueled more large scale fires and landed it in its current ranking as the 9th largest wildfire). 

I remember traversing up the blackened canyon trail; exposed to the chill spring morning; with just a few scruffy shoots of green finally sprouting up out of the charred earth.  There was something about the peony that caught my eye and led me to veer off trail and take a moment to observe it in quiet wonder. 

These shy flower heads stay in a perpetually bowed state, as if weighted and saddened as they reach towards the cool earth below them.  However, with a gentle lift of soft hands, there is revealed a stunning blanket of petals in rich reds and maroons, contrasted by a heart of bright yellow anthers. The leaves of the California Peony fan out in wide graceful splays of vibrant light green; which is what first drew me in to look closer.

The juxtaposition of the melancholy flower heads with their vibrant joyful inner coloring was a beautiful reflection on how seemingly opposing realities could coexist and lend depth and complexity to an otherwise simple thing. 

I found myself transfixed by this new finding.  This was a plant I never remembered seeing in my youth; and so I immediately began to photograph and document it so that once I returned home to my array of field guides and internet resources I could learn as much about it as possible. 

Something that immediately jumped out at me; being someone who enjoys the natural beauty of native plants and has grown up in a town that boasts numerous native gardens; I realized I had never really seen this particular flower growing in any local garden beds.  There is good reason for this, as California peonies are rather particular about their locations and absolutely need that summer dry dormancy in order to thrive.  This is a condition that most home gardeners likely wouldn’t want to recreate, as so many other plants desire more consistent watering, especially in the dry heat of the summer. 

Since my first observation of these flowers in the spring of 2018, every January to March, I find myself heading up to the foothills in search of their sweet and short lived beauty.  There is a kind of childlike “four leaf clover hunting” magic in trying to seek out these timid beauties in tucked away corners and the hollow shade of the chaparral understory. 

Every time I find a new stand of them, I pause to gently lift the flower heads in my hands and say hello to the beautiful inner petals and let them kiss the sun for the briefest of moments.  Then I release them into their prayerful repose and admire the overall beauty and complexity of this underappreciated flower. 

While they may not burst forth with the vibrant sunshine of the California Poppy; or illuminate the hillsides in the lilac blue hues of the Lupines; California Peony reserves its beauty for the more attentive and mindful observer.  California peonies call you in with the most delicate of siren songs, only observable if you are moving slowly and with great awareness. 

I truly believe that I likely could have gone years more without observing this flower; but the circumstances of that particular moment drew me into communion with it.  

During the weeks of destruction and chaos wrecked by the Thomas Fire; I had spent countless hours volunteering as a relief worker, helping families recover from their losses.  Within about a month’s time, my body completely gave out and I became very sick.  (It would take me a further six months of treatment and care to fully regain my health.)

It was during this recovery period that I found myself meandering out on short hikes to rebuild my strength and stamina.  And it was due to this slower pace of walking; set against the blank charcoal canvas created by the fire, that I observed my first California Peony.  Two seemingly painful and difficult experiences led to a tailor made moment for observing beauty that until that moment had passed my often hurried view unnoticed. 

I think this is the lesson of the California Peony.  Life is so much more complex and nuanced than we realize.  What appears at first glance to be a simple splay of feathery leaves and wilted flowers; is in actuality a beautiful crimson wonder to behold, if you simply slow down and take a moment to be present with it.  It is the kind of “hidden in plain sight” beauty that we pass by hurriedly every day and never stop to admire.

It is the ladybug hiding on the underside of a leaf, it is the tenor of a child’s laughter, it is the smile of the stranger we pass on the street, and it is the way that a single cloud drifts lazily across the sky.   Little everyday things we might barely come to notice unless we stop and ponder at how truly miraculous and beautiful they really are. 

In the present day state of the world; I find myself drawn more and more to the small unassuming joys and the unexpected simplistic beauty.  When things around you are so immensely heavy and challenging; sometimes a single blossom can be a moment of pure bliss among the chaos. 

So, if you are out walking the local trails over the next few months; be sure to keep an eye out for this beautiful little flower and take an extra few moments to marvel in the presence of this floral embodiment of stunning juxtaposition and complexity.

California Peony

California Peony Leaves

California Peony

Paeonia californica; The California Peony as observed on local Ojai Valley trails