Abstract: In this paper,the effect of four different preservation methods on the pigment in tree peony petal were explored by determining the component and content of flavonoids and anthocyanins using high performance liquid chromatography( HPLC) with three tree peony cultivars. UV- visible spectra of total anthocyanins( TA) and total flavonols( TF) were used to further examine the effect of different drying temperatures on pigment. The results showed that there were noteworthy differences among the four methods in terms of preserving pigment.Among the four methods,the hot- air- drying method was regarded as the optimal method to preserve tree peony petal due to its advantages including minimum impact on pigments,low cost,easy transportation and easy operation.Finally,it was suggested that the drying temperature should range from 60 ℃ to 80 ℃.