Carnation (Dianthus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Dianthus is a group of flowering plants that includes carnations and Sweet William, familiar in U.S. gardens. Most have narrow leaves in opposite pairs, five petals with toothed or fringed edges, and a tube-shaped outer flower cup with small leaflike parts around its base. The group is also called pinks.

In this group

Deptford pinkDianthus armeria

This introduced annual or biennial is common in dry, disturbed ground across much of the United States; its small pink flowers sit among long, hairy .

Sweet WilliamDianthus barbatus

A common garden escape, it carries many small flowers in a dense, flat-topped cluster.

maiden pinkDianthus deltoides

This low, mat-forming Eurasian species is in many northern states and has small pink flowers marked near the center.

China pinkDianthus chinensis

Usually seen as a bedding plant, it has relatively broad, toothed petals and many colorful cultivated forms.

Carthusian pinkDianthus carthusianorum

An occasional garden escape, it holds tight clusters of vivid pink flowers above narrow leaves.

carnationDianthus caryophyllus

The familiar florist plant has many double-flowered cultivars and is usually encountered in cultivation rather than as a U.S. wildflower.

Appearance

Growth form: The genus includes annuals, biennials, and many short-lived or long-lived herbs. Some form low mats, while others make upright flowering stems.
Flowers: Pink, red, and white are common, and cultivated plants add many mixed colors and double flowers. Petal edges range from shallow teeth to a deeply cut fringe.
Fruit: The fruit is a dry that opens at the top and releases flattened, usually dark seeds.
How to recognize it: Look for opposite, usually narrow leaves and a tubular wrapped at the base by one or more pairs of small bracts. The five petals often have toothed or fringed edges.

Look-alikes

catchfliesSilene

Both groups can have opposite leaves and five pink petals. On Dianthus, check for small overlapping bracts snug around the base of the tubular calyx; Silene lacks that Dianthus-style ring of bracts.

Why they get mixed upThey are close relatives in the pink family and both can have pink, five-petaled flowers.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: gardens and borders
dry fields
roadsides
rock gardens
Range: Most Dianthus species are native to Europe and Asia. In the lower 48 states, familiar garden pinks and several naturalized species are introduced; northern pink (Dianthus repens) is native to Alaska.
Preferred conditions: Many garden dianthus prefer full sun and soil that drains freely. Species vary, so a plant from a dry rock garden may not have the same needs as a florist carnation.

Life cycle

Reproduction: Wild plants reproduce by seed. Garden forms may also be divided or grown from cuttings.

Growing it

Care: Carnations, garden pinks, China pinks, and Sweet William are all grown in the United States. Nursery hybrids can combine traits from more than one species, so a flower-only photo may not support a species-level identification.

Name and classification

Group name: In everyday U.S. use, “carnation” usually means the florist carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus).
Number of species: About 355 species are recognized worldwide.

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