There are over 300 species within the Dianthus genus, together with perennials, annuals, and biennials. Coming from the Greek phrases “Dios” for the god Zeus and “anthos” for flower, carnations translate to “the flowers of god.” Frequent names embrace hardy pinks, grass pinks, and clove pinks. This lush flower is available in normal and spray, that includes both one central flower or a “spray” of smaller blooms.
Carnations are very hands-off and simple to develop, excellent for all ranges of gardening. They’re nice for pollinators, have an inviting, spicy scent, and are identified for his or her frilly petals and vibrant shades. Carl Linnaeus coined heirloom carnations as Dianthus caryophyllus in 1753, they usually have remained so ever since. This genus additionally contains Dianthus barbatus, generally referred to as Candy William carnations, and Dianthus chinensis (Chinese language Pink). All of them have a standard look that’s excellent for Mom’s Day and child showers.
Whereas they’re usually perennials in USDA rising zones 6 to 10, I’ll talk about a couple of right here that northern growers will need to strive. Growers throughout zones can efficiently develop them as annuals. Let’s get into 15 stunning carnation varieties on your backyard.
Suggestions For Rising Lush, Productive Carnations
- Deadhead typically to advertise new blooms.
- Propagate them from 4 to six-inch cuttings or begin them from seed indoors 10 to 12 weeks earlier than your final frost date. Or strive your hand at winter sowing!
- Mulch earlier than winter to guard the crown.
- Divide each few years to maintain them wholesome.
- Assist with a web if essential.
- Fertilize utilizing a well-balanced feed; they thrive with out a lot.
- Water recurrently. Don’t let the soil dry; keep away from getting the foliage moist to lower the chance of fungal illnesses.
‘Chabaud Mix’
This ruffled heirloom carnation selection combine options shades of pink, pink, purple, yellow, bicolored, and crisp white. The flowers are one to a few inches in diameter. Every stem affords one flower, making them a dream for florists and bouquet fans.
Edible petals elevate a charcuterie board or cocktail with a light clove taste. Professional tip: Take away the central disk earlier than displaying them, as it may be bitter.
‘Chabaud Mix’ is nice for container growers and is deer-resistant. Birds, butterflies, and bees will feast on their nectar.
‘Marie Chabaud’
This French classic magnificence dates again to 1904, boasting buttery yellow double blooms. Its grass-like stems are blueish-green and stand tall, needing no assist.
It affords a candy, spicy perfume and is a tender perennial in USDA Zones 6 to eight. In any other case, deal with ‘Marie Chabaud’ as an annual. Transplant seedlings across the time of your final frost after hardening them off or direct sow in early spring.
Carnations desire wealthy, well-draining soil that’s barely alkaline.
‘Chinese language Pink’
A stylish choice for container and small-space gardeners who nonetheless need to develop stunning, long-lasting flowers, ‘Chinese language Pink’ typically options bi-colored single blooms and enormous lance-shaped leaves. Colours vary from white to vivid pink to pink.
This cool-weather lover does finest the place summers don’t attain excessive temperatures. Afternoon shade is appreciated. Crops could self-seed and produce offspring, in contrast to their mother or father crops.
Take warning with pets within the backyard, as this plant is poisonous to cats, canine, and horses.
‘White Grenadin’
A basic white carnation selection excellent for boutonnieres, this medium selection enhances every thing rising in your backyard. ‘White Grenadin’ is a hardy perennial that involves us from Europe and Asia.
Add it to a cottage, reducing, or rock backyard, in mass for a romantic vibe, or in pots round your vegetable gardens to attract pollinators in. Its rising behavior is mounding and it performs effectively as a minimize flower with a protracted vase life.
‘Sugar Plum’
A part of the Scent First® Collection, this amazingly lush and wavy selection is bi-colored in shades of white, pink, and maroon atop blue-gray stems and foliage.
‘Sugar Plum’ is understood for its intense spicy aroma and is warmth and drought-tolerant. She’s a real dwarf carnation, reaching simply 10 inches at full maturity. This selection blooms from late spring to late summer season with common deadheading.
‘Barcelona Crimson’
Chilly area growers, this one’s for you! This deep, cranberry pink stunner is hardy -20°F (-29°C). Single-petaled, wider, and flatter than the Candy™ collection, this carnation selection affords a mixture of darkish pink and deep cranberry, generally giving it a bi-colored look.
‘Barcelona Crimson’ will attain maturity in 100 to 105 days. Blooms can last as long as two weeks in a vase, with water modifications each different day.
‘Oscar® Salmon’
Does it get higher than a fantastic flower that tolerates gentle frosts and excessive warmth? Hardy to -5°F (-21°C), ‘Oscar® Salmon’ is long-lasting and aromatic. Its small spray blooms are double and have a saturated and intense salmon colour.
This selection’s quick stance and mounding progress behavior make it a pleasure for container growers. It stays uniform all season with common care. Sit up for ‘Oscar® Salmon’ blooms from spring to fall.
‘Peppermint Star’ (‘Noreen)’
Delivered to us as a part of the UK’s Whetman Pinks® STAR SINGLE™ Assortment, ‘Noreen’ is an cute, one to one-and-a-half-inch bicolored single dianthus. She’s a compact child in Barbie® pink with a sweet apple pink heart and spiky blue-gray stems and foliage.
‘Noreen’s scent is delicate, with hints of cloves, and she or he’ll bloom from spring to late summer season. Hummingbirds and tiny pollinators will respect the small but bountiful nectaries.
The stems are sturdy and excellent for borders or fillers in containers, however they require no assist. Keep away from letting the soil dry out between watering periods.
‘Key Lime Pie’
This perennial magnificence is a novel white single bloomer with a vivid apple-green heart, resembling the shade of a slice of key lime pie. Sturdy blue-green stems type in mounds and are excellent on your cottage backyard. Bred and developed by award-winning Whetman® Pinks Ltd and Plant Haven, ‘Key Lime Pie’ is a part of the American Pie® collection.
‘Key Lime Pie’ will captivate you and attract pollinators with its spicy aroma. Its prolonged bloom interval will present abundance from late spring by means of early fall. Its uniqueness will complement vivid bouquets and can make a long-lasting impression.
Select this selection for a cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and uniquely inexperienced carnation!
‘Tall Romance’
A humorous identify for this compact cultivar, ‘Tall Romance’ is a romantic, tender coral-pink shade, making it the lover of carnations. A part of the SCENT FIRST® assortment, she’s excellent for rock gardens, alongside walkways, combined with decorative grasses, and in containers.
This cultivar is simple to develop, and her productiveness gained’t disappoint. Since she’s on the shorter aspect, add her to mason jar flower bouquets for a summer season deal with.
Along with her enchantment to pollinators and spicy scent, ‘Tall Romance’ doesn’t thoughts if her soil dries out a bit. House them at 6 to 12 inches for the most effective outcomes.
‘Can-Can Scarlet’
It’s no surprise this strong, vivid pink magnificence acquired the All-American Picks award in 2003 and Europe’s FleuroSelect Gold Medal for its efficiency. Her double pink blooms attain two inches in diameter, contrasting her deep gray-green foliage and stem.
‘Can-Can Scarlet’ makes an glorious minimize flower and performs effectively in containers or mass plantings. She tolerates warmth fairly effectively and can produce contemporary blooms by means of fall. The deer will avoid this strongly scented cultivar.
‘Neon Purple’
Members of the Amazon™ collection, together with this one, are a cross between Dianthus chinensis and Dianthus barbatus. ‘Neon Purple’ is a daring violet single bloom on sturdy stems, which may attain as much as 36 inches.
Peak will range on this hybrid. Professional tip: Harvest the shortest stems and use them to garnish desserts and refreshing summer season drinks, saving the taller ones for backyard magnificence or minimize flowers.
For finest outcomes, direct sow dianthus in early spring, when frost should happen.
‘Paint the City Magenta’
The distinction of this intense one-inch magenta flower and its deep blue foliage will depart you in awe. Use ‘Paint the City Magenta’ to create a daring assertion planted in mass, or develop it alongside vivid yellows and crisp whites for an actual dialog starter.
This Confirmed Winners® selection is excellent for newbies. It is going to tolerate partial shade in heat areas and endure excessive warmth with out tapering off or dropping its vibrance.
Pinch younger shoots and deadhead typically to encourage new blooms and a bushy, compact progress behavior.
‘Purple White Bicolor’
This cultivar was bred for greenhouse manufacturing but in addition performs effectively in fields. As part of the Candy™ collection, ‘Purple White Bicolor’ is a superb performer with excessive yields lasting as much as two weeks in a vase. She boasts gloriously giant, two to five-inch plum and white blooms.
House seedlings or skinny immediately sown seeds to about six inches for correct air circulation. Keep away from transplanting when spring temperatures have reached 65°F (18°C) for sufficient early-season progress.
For the most effective vase life, harvest when 10 to twenty% of flowers in a cluster are open.
‘Barcelona Pink’
This candy, bi-colored selection options tightly ruffled, pink two to four-inch blooms atop medium-green stems.
When ranging from seed, firmly push them into the seed-starting medium. Germination ought to happen in 7 to 10 days. ‘Barcelona Pink’ requires no vernalization for flowering, which occurs 80 to 100 days after sowing. Crops will proceed to supply blooms all season as soon as in full drive.