When May comes around, Chinese herbaceous peonies are in full bloom. Heze, a city in Shandong province, has the most varieties of the flower and is experiencing its peak season.

At the plantation of Shengshi Shaohua, a leading fresh-cut flower company in Heze, farmers are busy cutting flowers in the field.

"To ensure quality, we will transport cut flowers to cold storage workshops within 20 minutes," said Zhao Wenshuang, an officer of the company. "Our company currently produces 500,000 fresh-cut herbaceous peonies in one day and the sales volume for 2023 is estimated to be 10 million. According to current orders, this year is another year of short supply."

Peak season in Heze is one month earlier than that of the Netherlands, the world's largest wholesale market for the flowers, which presents an opportunity for the city to open an overseas market. The company is planning to expand abroad by using the "natural time difference".

Fresh-cut herbaceous peonies in Heze are getting popular at home and abroad, which makes the city's flower industry an important engine driving local growth.

Heze has been growing herbaceous peonies for more than 1,000 years. The city has become the country's largest production base for the flowers, with its output accounting for more than 50 percent of the national market.

As the industry grows, the local government has added its support to the mix. An international airline for transporting fresh flowers has opened thanks to that assistance. This route, which lands in Los Angeles, has provided a convenient channel for export.

"In 2019, we exported the first batch to Los Angeles. It took five days, and the flowers wilted in the hands of customers," said Duan Aifeng, general manager of the Heze Zhongyuan Peony Development Company.

After opening the channel, the transportation time has been shortened to 48 hours, ensuring the freshness, Duan added.

Heze's flowers are popular among consumers in Los Angeles, where a single bloom can sell for as much as $7.

According to Duan, orders from Los Angeles have increased after the international route opened, cresting 17,000 branches a week.

Local officials said the sales volume of fresh-cut herbaceous peonies is expected to hit 100 million by the end of 2023.