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Dianthus
Also called Pinks, Carnations, Carnation, Pinks And Carnations
Dianthus is a genus of about 340 species of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs, including the garden pinks, carnations and sweet william, prized for their fragrant, frilled flowers and blue-green foliage. Most grow best in full sun with sharp drainage and moderate water.
Dianthus ( dy-AN-thəs) is a genus of about 340 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species in northern and southern Africa, and one species (D. repens) in arctic North America. A least two species are introduced in North America: Dianthus armeria and Dianthus deltoides. Common names include carnation (D. caryophyllus), pink (D. plumarius and related species), and sweet william (D. barbatus).
Since 1717, dianthus species have been extensively bred and hybridised to produce many thousands of cultivars for garden use and floristry, in all shades of white, pink, yellow, and red, with a huge variety of flower shapes and markings. They are often divided into the following main groups:
Border carnations – fully hardy, growing to 60 cm (24 in), large blooms
Dianthus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including cabbage moth, double-striped pug, large yellow underwing, and the lychnis. Also three species of Coleophora case-bearers feed exclusively on Dianthus; C. dianthi, C. dianthivora, and C. musculella (which feeds exclusively on D. superbus).
Sand pink · Deptford pink · Sweetwilliam · Carnation · Annual pink · Blood Pink · Dianthus cyri · Giant Pink · Fringed Pink · Dianthus myrtinervius · Stiff Velezia · Dianthus spiculifolius
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Dianthus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
