Bucharest, May 15, 2026 – The University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, through its Faculty of Horticulture, organized today, within the Prof. “Ioan Todor” Botanical Garden in the Agronomy–Herăstrău Campus, the third official edition of the event “Peony – The National Flower of Romania”, dedicated to celebrating Romania’s symbolic flower.
The event brought together university professors, horticulture specialists, representatives of the cultural sector, students, and numerous visitors in an initiative dedicated to promoting Romania’s horticultural and national heritage.
During the event, the national peony collection was presented alongside numerous peony varieties cultivated in the Prof. “Ioan Todor” Botanical Garden, one of the most valuable collections of its kind in Romania, comprising 127 varieties. Participants had the opportunity to take part in guided tours, discussions with specialists, and presentations dedicated to the biological, ornamental, and cultural importance of the peony.
In October 2022, the Romanian Parliament promulgated Law No. 285/2022, through which the peony was officially declared the National Flower of Romania. Today’s event was also attended by Senator Robert Cazanciuc, one of the initiators of the legislative initiative that made the official recognition of the peony as a national symbol possible. Actively involved in supporting the project since the consultation stage with specialists from the Faculty of Horticulture within USAMV Bucharest, he contributed to promoting the initiative in Parliament and to building cross-party consensus around this flower, emblematic of Romania’s natural and cultural heritage.
Five species of peony protected by law grow naturally on Romanian territory, alongside numerous cultivated horticultural varieties, confirming the exceptional value of this plant to Romania’s natural heritage.
The first peony variety to be produced in Romania will bear the name “MADRIGAL”
The central moment of the event was the official announcement regarding the launch of breeding activities for the creation of the “Madrigal Peony,” a project developed in partnership between the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest and the Madrigal – Marin Constantin National Chamber Choir.
The first peony variety produced in Romania will be created by specialists from the Faculty of Horticulture within USAMV Bucharest, with the entire process of conception, selection, and evaluation to be carried out on the university campus.
The new variety will bear the name “Madrigal,” becoming a symbol of the meeting between science, nature, and art, and a tribute to one of Romania’s most important cultural landmarks.
“The energy of the Madrigal brand will be present in every Romanian household through this beauty of the month of May, the peony. We are in the middle of a fascinating process, in which we seek to combine the genes of the most beautiful flower that Romania will enjoy and that will proudly bear the name of Madrigal,” declared Emil Pantelimon, manager of the Madrigal Choir.
“For us, this partnership is both a joy and a professional challenge. The Madrigal Peony will bring together horticultural research and cultural identity in a living project with both symbolic and scientific potential,” declared Adrian Asănică, Dean of the Faculty of Horticulture within the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest.
Through this initiative, the “Madrigal Peony” project opens a new direction of development for the Madrigal Choir, which aims, over time, to build the Madrigal Floralia Collection – a series of projects dedicated to the dialogue between culture, nature, and Romanian identity.
The event organized by USAMV Bucharest once again confirmed the public’s interest in Romania’s plant heritage and in promoting national symbols through interdisciplinary projects that bring together education, research, and culture.
