Dianthus plumarius

Cottage Pink
Caryophyllaceae
Perennials, Flowers

DIANTHUS

Over 300 species and extremely large number of hybrids. Most kinds form attractive evergreen mats or tufts of grasslike green, gray-green, blue-green, or grayblue leaves. Single, semidouble, or double flowers in white and shades of pink, rose, red, yellow, and orange; many have rich, spicy fragrance. Main bloom period for most is spring into early summer; some kinds rebloom later in season or keep going into fall if faded flowers are removed. All kinds of dianthus thrive in light, fast-draining soil.

Dianthus plumarius

Charming, almost legendary European species, cultivated for hundreds of years and used in developing many hybrids. Typically has loosely matted gray-green foliage in clump to 2 ft. wide. Flowering stems 10–18 in. high; spicily fragrant, dark-centered flowers in rose, pink, or white, with more or less fringed petals. Highly prized are old laced pinks, with white flowers in which each petal is outlined in red or pink. Cottage pinks bloom from summer to fall if deadheaded. Indispensable edging for borders or for peony or rose beds. Perfect additionto small arrangements and old-fashioned bouquets. Choice selections include ‘Essex Witch’, with semidouble, rose-pink flowers on 5-in. stems; ‘Sweetness’, with a mix of darker-centered shades on 4-in. stems; and ‘Musgrave’s Pink’, a foot-high classic that’s at least 200 years old and bears intensely fragrant, single white blooms with a green eye.