15 Beautiful Carnation Varieties for Your Garden
If you have a spot in your garden that’s begging for brightness, look no further than easy-to-care-for and cheerful carnations. Join organic farmer Jenna Rich to learn about 15 carnation varieties for your garden.
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There are over 300 species in the Dianthus genus, including perennials, annuals, and biennials. Coming from the Greek words “Dios” for the god Zeus and “anthos” for flower, carnations translate to “the flowers of god.” Common names include hardy pinks, grass pinks, and clove pinks. This lush flower comes in standard and spray, featuring either one central flower or a “spray” of smaller blooms.
Carnations are very hands-off and easy to grow, perfect for all levels of gardening. They’re great for pollinators, have an inviting, spicy scent, and are known for their frilly petals and vibrant shades. Carl Linnaeus coined heirloom carnations as Dianthus caryophyllus in 1753, and they have remained so ever since. This genus also includes Dianthus barbatus, commonly called Sweet William carnations, and Dianthus chinensis (Chinese Pink). They all have a traditional look that is perfect for Mother’s Day and baby showers.
While they’re typically perennials in USDA growing zones 6 to 10, I’ll discuss a few here that northern growers will want to try. Growers across zones can successfully grow them as annuals. Let’s get into 15 beautiful carnation varieties for your garden.
Tips For Growing Lush, Productive Carnations
- Deadhead often to promote new blooms.
- Propagate them from four to six-inch cuttings or start them from seed indoors 10 to 12 weeks before your last frost date. Or try your hand at winter sowing!
- Mulch before winter to protect the crown.
- Divide every few years to keep them healthy.
- Support with a net if necessary.
- Fertilize using a well-balanced feed; they thrive without much.
- Water regularly. Don’t let the soil dry; avoid getting the foliage wet to decrease the risk of fungal diseases.
‘Chabaud Blend’
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botanical name Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Chabaud Blend’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 18 to 24 inches |
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hardiness zones Perennial in USDA 6 to 9 |
This ruffled heirloom carnation variety mix features shades of red, pink, purple, yellow, bicolored, and crisp white. The flowers are one to three inches in diameter. Each stem offers one flower, making them a dream for florists and bouquet enthusiasts.
Edible petals elevate a charcuterie board or cocktail with a mild clove flavor. Pro tip: Remove the central disk before displaying them, as it can be bitter.
‘Chabaud Blend’ is great for container growers and is deer-resistant. Birds, butterflies, and bees will feast on their nectar.
‘Marie Chabaud’
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botanical name Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Marie Chabaud’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 24 to 30 inches |
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hardiness zones Tender perennial in USDA 6 to 8 |
This French vintage beauty dates back to 1904, boasting buttery yellow double blooms. Its grass-like stems are blueish-green and stand tall, needing no support.
It offers a sweet, spicy fragrance and is a tender perennial in USDA Zones 6 to 8. Otherwise, treat ‘Marie Chabaud’ as an annual. Transplant seedlings around the time of your last frost after hardening them off or direct sow in early spring.
Carnations prefer rich, well-draining soil that’s slightly alkaline.
‘Chinese Pink’
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botanical name Dianthus chinensis ‘Chinese Pink’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6 to 36 inches |
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hardiness zones USDA 6 to 9 |
A trendy option for container and small-space gardeners who still want to grow beautiful, long-lasting flowers, ‘Chinese Pink’ often features bi-colored single blooms and large lance-shaped leaves. Colors range from white to bright pink to red.
This cool-weather lover does best where summers don’t reach extreme temperatures. Afternoon shade is appreciated. Plants may self-seed and produce offspring, unlike their parent plants.
Take caution with pets in the garden, as this plant is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.
‘White Grenadin’
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botanical name Dianthus caryophyllus ‘White Grenadin’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 12 to 24 inches |
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hardiness zones USDA 4 to 9 |
A classic white carnation variety perfect for boutonnieres, this medium variety complements everything growing in your garden. ‘White Grenadin’ is a hardy perennial that comes to us from Europe and Asia.
Add it to a cottage, cutting, or rock garden, in mass for a romantic vibe, or in pots around your vegetable gardens to draw pollinators in. Its growing habit is mounding and it performs well as a cut flower with a long vase life.
‘Sugar Plum’
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botanical name Dianthus caryophyllus ‘WP08 LAN04’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 8 to 10 inches |
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hardiness zones USDA 5 to 9 |
Part of the Scent First® Series, this amazingly lush and wavy variety is bi-colored in shades of white, pink, and maroon atop blue-gray stems and foliage.
‘Sugar Plum’ is known for its intense spicy aroma and is heat and drought-tolerant. She’s a true dwarf carnation, reaching just 10 inches at full maturity. This variety blooms from late spring to late summer with regular deadheading.
‘Barcelona Red’
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botanical name Dianthus barbatus ‘Barcelona Red’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 22 to 28 inches |
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hardiness zones USDA 6 to 8 |
Cold region growers, this one’s for you! This deep, cranberry red stunner is hardy -20°F (-29°C). Single-petaled, wider, and flatter than the Sweet™ series, this carnation variety offers a mix of dark red and deep cranberry, sometimes giving it a bi-colored appearance.
‘Barcelona Red’ will reach maturity in 100 to 105 days. Blooms can last up to two weeks in a vase, with water changes every other day.
‘Oscar® Salmon’
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botanical name Dianthus caryophyllus ‘KLEDP15179′ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 10 to 12 inches |
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hardiness zones USDA 6+ |
Does it get better than a beautiful flower that tolerates light frosts and extreme heat? Hardy to -5°F (-21°C), ‘Oscar® Salmon’ is long-lasting and fragrant. Its small spray blooms are double and have a saturated and intense salmon color.
This variety’s short stance and mounding growth habit make it a joy for container growers. It remains uniform all season with regular care. Look forward to ‘Oscar® Salmon’ blooms from spring to fall.
‘Peppermint Star’ (‘Noreen)’
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botanical name Dianthus ‘Peppermint Star’ (‘Noreen’) |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6 to 9 inches |
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hardiness zones USDA 5 to 9 |
Brought to us as part of the United Kingdom’s Whetman Pinks® STAR SINGLE™ Collection, ‘Noreen’ is an adorable, one to one-and-a-half-inch bicolored single dianthus. She’s a compact baby in Barbie® pink with a candy apple red center and spiky blue-gray stems and foliage.
‘Noreen’s scent is mild, with hints of cloves, and she’ll bloom from spring to late summer. Hummingbirds and tiny pollinators will appreciate the small yet bountiful nectaries.
The stems are sturdy and perfect for borders or fillers in containers, but they require no support. Avoid letting the soil dry out between watering sessions.
‘Key Lime Pie’
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botanical name Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Wp15 Pie41’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 12 to 18 inches |
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hardiness zones USDA 5 to 9 |
This perennial beauty is a unique white single bloomer with a bright apple-green center, resembling the shade of a slice of key lime pie. Sturdy blue-green stems form in mounds and are perfect for your cottage garden. Bred and developed by award-winning Whetman® Pinks Ltd and Plant Haven, ‘Key Lime Pie’ is part of the American Pie® series.
‘Key Lime Pie’ will captivate you and draw in pollinators with its spicy aroma. Its extended bloom period will provide abundance from late spring through early fall. Its uniqueness will complement bright bouquets and will make a lasting impression.
Choose this variety for a cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and uniquely green carnation!
‘Tall Romance’
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botanical name Dianthus caryophyllus ‘W909 Wen04′ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 9 inches |
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hardiness zones USDA 5 to 9 |
A funny name for this compact cultivar, ‘Tall Romance’ is a romantic, soft coral-pink shade, making it the sweetheart of carnations. Part of the SCENT FIRST® collection, she’s perfect for rock gardens, along walkways, mixed with ornamental grasses, and in containers.
This cultivar is easy to grow, and her productivity won’t disappoint. Since she’s on the shorter side, add her to mason jar flower bouquets for a summer treat.
In addition to her appeal to pollinators and spicy scent, ‘Tall Romance’ doesn’t mind if her soil dries out a bit. Space them at 6 to 12 inches for the best results.
‘Can-Can Scarlet’
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botanical name Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Can Can Scarlet F1’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 12 to 14 inches |
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hardiness zones USDA 5 to 10 |
It’s no wonder this solid, bright red beauty received the All-American Selections award in 2003 and Europe’s FleuroSelect Gold Medal for its performance. Her double red blooms reach two inches in diameter, contrasting her deep gray-green foliage and stem.
‘Can-Can Scarlet’ makes an excellent cut flower and performs well in containers or mass plantings. She tolerates heat quite well and will produce fresh blooms through fall. The deer will stay away from this strongly scented cultivar.
‘Neon Purple’
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botanical name Dianthus barbatus interspecific ‘Neon Purple’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 18 to 36 inches |
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hardiness zones Tender perennial in USDA 6 to 8 |
Members of the Amazon™ series, including this one, are a cross between Dianthus chinensis and Dianthus barbatus. ‘Neon Purple’ is a bold violet single bloom on sturdy stems, which can reach up to 36 inches.
Height will vary in this hybrid. Pro tip: Harvest the shortest stems and use them to garnish desserts and refreshing summer drinks, saving the taller ones for garden beauty or cut flowers.
For best results, direct sow dianthus in early spring, when frost may still occur.
‘Paint the Town Magenta’
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botanical name Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Paint the Town Magenta’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 8 inches |
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hardiness zones USDA 4 to 9 |
The contrast of this intense one-inch magenta flower and its deep blue foliage will leave you in awe. Use ‘Paint the Town Magenta’ to create a bold statement planted in mass, or grow it alongside bright yellows and crisp whites for a real conversation starter.
This Proven Winners® variety is perfect for beginners. It will tolerate partial shade in warm regions and endure extreme heat without petering out or losing its vibrance.
Pinch young shoots and deadhead often to encourage new blooms and a bushy, compact growth habit.
‘Purple White Bicolor’
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botanical name Dianthus barbatus ‘Purple White Bicolor’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 18 to 36 inches |
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hardiness zones Tender perennial in USDA 6 to 8 |
This cultivar was bred for greenhouse production but also performs well in fields. As a part of the Sweet™ series, ‘Purple White Bicolor’ is an excellent performer with high yields lasting up to two weeks in a vase. She boasts gloriously large, two to five-inch plum and white blooms.
Space seedlings or thin directly sown seeds to about six inches for proper air flow. Avoid transplanting when spring temperatures have reached 65°F (18°C) for adequate early-season growth.
For the best vase life, harvest when 10 to 20% of flowers in a cluster are open.
‘Barcelona Pink’
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botanical name Dianthus barbatus ‘Barcelona Pink’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 22 to 28 inches |
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hardiness zones Tender perennial in USDA 6 to 8 |
This sweet, bi-colored variety features tightly ruffled, pink two to four-inch blooms atop medium-green stems.
When starting from seed, firmly push them into the seed-starting medium. Germination should occur in 7 to 10 days. ‘Barcelona Pink’ requires no vernalization for flowering, which happens 80 to 100 days after sowing. Plants will continue to produce blooms all season once in full force.
