A Deep Dive into Dianthus

A Deep Dive into Dianthus

Sometimes, I will become obsessed with a particular plant.  This year, my interest is with Dianthus, or as commonly known, Pinks, Sweet William, or Carnation.  Now don't get me wrong.  I've always loved these flowers.  I often would adore looking at the blooming wild Sweet William growing along the roadside swaying in the breeze.  Beautiful!  Dianthus and all their various species are just gorgeous plants and flowers. They are brightly colored and some are frilly looking.  But it is the scent of some of them that has got me on the hunt.  Recently I've been reminiscing my childhood.  And at my childhood home was a bush with a heavenly spicy scent.  Mom used to call it clove bush.   I have been hunting for that bush for a long time with no success.  Apparently, Mom didn't know the real name for it which makes for a hard researching.  Anyway, I recently found out that some species of Dianthus have the same clove/spicy sweet scent I've been missing so much!

With over 300 species, and several hundred cultivars and hybrids, there are a lot to choose from.  There are a wide variety of colors too, all but blue.  In fact, they are one of the oldest known of cut flowers, so they have been well loved by many through time.  The ancient Greeks connected this flower with their god Zeus.  And if you break down the Greek word Dianthus, dios means god, and anthos means flower.  They essentially were saying Flower of the gods.  The Romans used them to make ceremonial crowns.

What I especially find pleasing is that the flowers attract every kind of pollinating insect along with butterflies and hummingbirds.  Another plus?  Some of the species are medicinal.  Traditional herbals report that the flowers have been used for fevers, constipation, stomach issues, dysmenorrhea, urinary tract infections, kidney stones and more.  It was also listed as being helpful for skin inflammations and swellings.  Other species have been used for stress and depression, while others through their essential oils have been useful in tonics, teas and external poultices.  Investigate the medicinal uses further (to find the particular species) before use and use caution during pregnancy.

GROWING

Dianthuses have all kinds of choices for us gardeners.  They can be perennial, annual or biennial.  The pinks are the perennial form with frilly edges.  Sweet William is a biennial or annual.  The Carnations (Dianthus carophyllus) are long-stemmed with particularly long bloom times.  If you have a color, you love you will probably find it in this species with heights ranging from 4 to 24 inches.  Some bloom spring to summer while others keep blooming through summer to fall.  Easy to grow, they like rich, well-draining soil and enjoy full sun to partial shade.  Seeds are easy to sow directly into the soil after frost date, or plants are easy to find as well.

MY SEARCH

My main concern was to get a highly scented Dianthus started in my garden.  I learned that some have no scent at all after picking up a couple packets at the local garden center.  Oh well.  I had bought Dianthus chinensis or China Pink.  It is known for it's color and grows up to 19 inches tall.   It said on the packet "fragrant" but in my research it says no scent.  I will plant them anyway and see what happens.  Meantime what I really needed was something called Cheddar Pink (Dianthus grationopolitanus).  The seeds I've ordered say this particular plant has the most intense spicy/clove scent of all.  It is also a groundcover that grows up to 12 inches tall.  It is considered a perennial that blooms May through June.  There are no known medicinal qualities in this particular plant, but the China Pink does have medicinal usage, specifically helpful for skin inflammation, treatment of hemorrhoids, as an astringent and diuretic.

I will be planting both sets of seeds and keep you updated as the season progresses.  I hope you find a specific flower to investigate this season.  You may want to try out one of the Dianthus.  And if you do, let me know how it goes for you.  And if you do, let me know how it goes for you. I would love to continue learning about this amazing flower.