Common name: Pinks, Carnations
Family: Caryophyllaceae, Dianthus
Height x width: 6-24" x 12-24"
Growth rate, habit: moderate to fast; low upright to lower spreading
Foliage: green to gray-green, opposite, entire, usually linear, often glaucous
Flowers: most colors, summer, solitary or few-flowered inflorescence
Hardiness: zones 3-4 to 7-8
Soil: well-drained, slightly alkaline preferred
Light: sun
Pests and problems: bacterial blight, fungal wilt, stem rot, leaf spots, rusts, viruses, aphids, thrips, mites
Landscape habit, uses: rock gardens, old-fashioned gardens, scented gardens, fronts of borders
Other interest: common name from often notched flower petals resembling cuts by British "pinking shears"; 5 classifications by Royal Horticulture Society by flowering habit--those here in the "pinks"; widely bred, hundreds of cultivars
Other culture: some readily self-sow
Propagation: seed usually easiest, terminal cuttings best for thick-stemmed species
Species:
Allwoodii Alpinus Group (all-wood' ee-ii)--Allwood Pinks, zones 4-8, 12-20" x 1', various color flowers in 2's in summer, gray foliage, from original breeding in 1920's by British grower of same name, flower with varying degrees of spicy fragrance, mostly double
alpinus (al-pine' us)--Alpine Pink, zones 3-7, 3-6" x 1', pink solitary flowers in late spring, green foliage, clump-forming, prefers summers below 85ºF
barbatus (bar-baa' tuss)--Sweet William, zones 3-8,10-18" x 1',various color flowers in clusters in late spring, green foliage, a biennial but self sows readily, named after British historic figure William, Duke of Cumberland (photo courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden plantfinder)
deltoides (del-toy' dees)--Maiden Pinks, zones 3-8, 6-12" x 24", red to rose flowers in 2's in summer, green foliage, forms loose mats of groundcover rapidly
gratianopolitanus (gra-tee-an-ah-pol-ee-taa' nus)--Cheddar Pinks, zones 3-8, 9-12" x 12", rose to pink solitary and fragrant flowers in spring, gray foliage, named for a native habitat Cheddar Gorge in England
knappii (nap' pee-ii)--Hairy Garden Pink, zones 3-7, 15-24" x 15", page yellow flowers in clusters in summer, green foliage, short-lived but reseeds readily
plumarius (pluu-mar' ee-us)--Cottage or Grass Pinks, zones 3-8, 18-24" x 12", various flower colors in 2's in early summer, green foliage, similar too and often mixed with Allwood types
simulans (sim' uu-lans)--Bulgarian Pink, zones 3-7, 3" x 6-12",
deep rose sparse flowers in spring, tight bluish-green buns, good alpine
Cultivars:
| Cultivars, other taxa | species | flowers | other |
| 'Albus' | deltoides | clear white | |
| 'Aqua' | -- | white, double, fragrant | 10-12", late spring |
| 'Bath's Pink' | gratianopolitanus | soft pink, fringed | heat tolerant |
| 'Becky Robinson' | Allwood Group | rosy-pink | blue-green foliage, 12-18" |
| 'Blue Hills' | -- | magenta, double | 4-5", blue foliage |
| 'Brilliant' | deltoides | scarlet-red | |
| 'Candy Dish' | -- | pink/red, double, fringed | 10-12", blue foliage |
| 'Dad's Favorite' | -- | white, red fringes | old |
| 'Danielle-Marie' | -- | salmon, double | 12-15", spring |
| 'Doris' | Allwood Group | salmon, darker eye | fragrant, popular, 12-18" |
| 'Double Midget' | barbatus | mix | 4-6" tall |
| 'Double Tall' | barbatus | mix, double, semidouble | 15-18" tall |
| 'Essex Witch' | -- | pink, semidouble, fragrant | compact |
| 'Feuerhexe' (Fire Witch) | gratianopolitanus | bright magenta | low, blue foliage |
| 'Fire Witch':'Feuerhexe' | |||
| 'Flashing Light':'Leuchtfunk' | |||
| 'Frosty Fire' | -- | red, double, long bloom | 6", COPF intro. |
| 'Helen' | -- | pink, double | 10-12" |
| 'Her Majesty' | -- | white, double, fragrant | compact gray foliage |
| 'Hoffman's Red' | -- | bright red, single | green foliage |
| 'Ian' | -- | red, double, long bloom | 15-18" tall |
| 'Inchmery' | -- | pale pink, fragrant | 8-10" tall |
| 'Inshriach Dazzler' | -- | chrome-red | |
| 'Karlicks' | -- | rose, fringed, fragrant | compact gray foliage |
| 'La Bourboule' | -- | pink, single, fringed | 3", silver-blue foliage |
| 'Leuchtfunk' (Flashing Light) | deltoides | deep ruby-red | |
| 'Little Bobby' | -- | raspberry red, dark eye | compact, bluish foliage |
| 'Little Boy Blue' | -- | white, pink center, single | silver-blue mat foliage |
| 'Maiden Pink' | deltoides | pink | 8-15" tall |
| 'Margaret Curtis' | -- | pink, red eye | 15" tall, old |
| 'Mars' | Allwood Group | deep pink, double | 3-6" tall |
| 'Mrs. Holt' | -- | pink, single | blue-gray foliage, alpine |
| 'Mrs. Sinkins' | Allwood Group | white, double, fragrant | old but popular, 12-18" |
| 'Nelli' | deltoides | dark red | 8-15" tall, dark foliage |
| 'Old Spice' | -- | salmon, fringed, fragrant | 10-12" tall |
| 'Petite' | gratianopolitanus pink, small | 4" tall | |
| 'Pike's Pink' | -- | pink, double | 4" tall, 1' spread |
| 'Robespierre' | -- | pink/red, double | 8-10", steel-blue foliage |
| 'Robin' | -- | salmon, double | 15" tall |
| 'Rose Dawn' | -- | rose, double, small | alpine, gray-green foliage |
| 'Snowbank' | -- | white, double, fragrant | 8-10" compact clumps |
| 'Splendens' | gratianopolitanus red | compact, June bloom | |
| 'Spotlight' | -- | crimson, double | 12-15" tall |
| 'Spotti' | -- | white, 2 rose spots | 8", compact |
| 'Spring Beauty' | -- | bicolors, singles, doubles | 10" tall |
| 'Sweet Memory' | -- | white, pink eye, semidouble 10-12" tall | |
| 'Tiny Rubies' | gratianopolitanus | deep pink, double | popular |
| 'Vampire' | deltoides | carmine-red | |
| 'Warbonnet' | -- | maroon, double | 15-18", summer bloom |
| 'White Hills' | - | white | 4-6", gray-green foliage |
| 'Zing Rose' | deltoides | deep red, large |
'Firewitch' photo courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden plantfinder)
©Authored by Dr. Leonard Perry, Professor, University of Vermont as part of PSS123 course.
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