Dianthus

Is winter over? We have had record lows, high temperatures that were record lows, and record snow fall this season. It has been a long one. Even with spring finally here, the yard is looking worn out, and even the harbingers of early color, crocus, tulips, and daffodils are taking their time poking their little heads up from the soil. Most of us are yearning for some fresh color.

Early spring can be unpredictable; we can have very warm days and chilly nights. It is too soon to do any serious gardening, especially if you want to spruce up your flower beds. There are options for you, though. You should be seeing cold-hardy annuals at the local garden centers soon.

While pansies are old favorites, and come in a nice variety of colors and blossoms, there is an alternative: dianthus. There are many perennial kinds of dianthus, and are generally called “pinks”.  Even though dianthus do some in shades of pink, the name really comes from the old English “pynken” meaning pinking shears, referencing  the notched edges of the flowers.

There are about 300 species of dianthus, and are in the Caryophyllaceae family. This derived from the Greek word for clove, because some dianthus have a clove scent to their leaves. The very popular cut flower, carnation, is a member of the same family. Strong resemblance can be seen in the foliage, and double blossoms of annual dianthus.

Dianthuses hybridize very easily, so there are many choices available. There are perennial, biennial, and hardy annual from which to choose. In our area, the most common types are sold as annuals, even though they are perennials in warmer zones. They are relatively cold tolerant like pansies. But, they range in height from six inches to two foot tall plants. Dianthus make a nice change as an early color options because they have strong upright stems, ranging in color from  bright green to a greyish hue. You can find single colors of white to a velvety-red, two tone picotees, and others with dark centers and splashes of colors. Dianthus fill out better than pansies and can handle warmer full sun exposures better too.

Dianthus make excellent border or edge plants. If you like containers, they are well suited for that. Consider using them in a cutting garden. Look for plants that have a nice compact growth, ones that are not leggy. Avoid any with yellowed leaves; this may indicate malnourishment or root problems. Use some dianthus this spring, these clove scent hardy plants will spice up your garden.

For more information on dianthus, please contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County at 570-963-6842 and request our free fact sheet on this annual.

Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator