Dianthus or Carnation

This genus consists of annuals, biennials and perennials. There are over 300 species but only about 30 are used in landscapes. Pinks and Carnations have fragrant flowers while the most common biennial, Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) is not fragrant.

Dianthus x allwoodii Allwood's Pinks
D. alpinus Alpine Pinks
D. arenarius Sand Pink
D. x arvernensis Auvergne Pink
D. barbatus Sweet William
D. brevicaulis Taurus PInk

D. carthusianorum

Clusteilsead PInk
D. caryophyllus Border Carnation
D. chinensis Chinese Pink
D. deltoides Maiden Pink
D. giacialis      Lee Pink
D. graniticus Granite Pink Bearing
D. gratianapolitanus Cheddar Pink
D. knappii Hardy Garden Pink
D. x latifolius Button Pink
D. myrtinentius  
D. pavonius Glacier Pink
D. petraeus noeanus  
D. plumarsus Border Pink, Cottage Pink, Grass Pink, Scotch Pink

D. superbus    

Lilac Pink
D. x winteri  
   

Species Foliage
Color		 Hgt
(in)		 Flowers Flower
Color
D. x allwoodii gray 12-20 2 feets various
D. alpinus green 3-6 solitary pink
D. barbatus green 10-18 clusters various
D. deltoides green 6-12 2 feets red, pink
D. gratianapolitanus gray 9-12 solitary rose, pink
D. knappii green 15-24 clusters yellow
D. plumarsus gray 18-24 2 feets various

* Guides and Keys are from the book "Herbaceous Perennial Plants A Treatise on their Identification, Culture and Garden Attributes" by Dr Allan M. Armitage of the University of Georgia. Varsity Press, Athens, Georgia. 1989 ISBN 0-942375-00. More on Dr Armitage and his other books.

This genus is often divided into 5 general classes:

1. Grass Pinks - low, tufted plants, sometimes with fragrant foliage.
2. Maiden Pinks - cling close to the ground, forming dense mats of foliage (D. deltoides)
3. Biennials - Sweet William (D. barbatus) with rounded flower-heads.
4. Carnation - (D. caryophyllus) greenhouse plant.
5. Other species not grown frequently.

 
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