Dianthus (Rani) – Plant

Description

The species are mostly herbaceous perennials, a few are annual or biennial, and some are low subshrubs with woody basal stems. The leaves are opposite, simple, mostly linear and often strongly glaucous grey-green to blue-green. The flowers have five petals, typically with a frilled or pinked margin, and are (in almost all species) pale to dark pink. One species, D. knappii, has yellow flowers with a purple centre. Some species, particularly the perennial pinks, are noted for their strong spicy fragrance.

• Border carnations – fully hardy, growing to 60 cm (24 in), large blooms
• Perpetual flowering carnations – grown under glass, flowering throughout the year, often used for exhibition purposes, growing to 150 cm (59 in)
• Malmaison carnations – derived from the variety ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’, growing to 70 cm (28 in), grown for their intense “clove” fragrance
• Old-fashioned pinks – older varieties; evergreen perennials forming mounds of blue-green foliage with masses of flowers in summer, growing to 45 cm (18 in)
• Modern pinks – newer varieties, growing to 45 cm (18 in), often blooming two or three times per year
• Alpine pinks – mat-forming perennials, suitable for the rockery or alpine garden, growing to 10 cm (4 in).