What Are the Other Names for Carnations? Get to Know the Common Names at Once

Other Names for Carnations

The carnation, also known as lion's head fringed pink, musk fringed pink, fragrant fringed pink, large-flowered fringed pink, and Dutch fringed pink, is a plant in the family Caryophyllaceae and the genus Dianthus.

Morphological Characteristics of Carnations

The carnation is an evergreen subshrub, cultivated as a perennial herbaceous flower. Because its petals have fringed edges and a fragrant scent, it is widely cultivated. It is generally divided into two types: garden carnations and florist carnations; the stems are clustered, hard in texture, gray-green, with swollen nodes, and a height of about 50 cm. The leaves are thick and linear, oppositely arranged. The stems and leaves are similar to those of the Chinese fringed pink but more robust, covered with a white powder. The flowers are large and fragrant, solitary, in clusters of 2-3, or in cymes; below the calyx there are four rhombic-ovate bracteoles with short pointed tips, about one quarter the length of the calyx tube; the calyx tube is green and five-cleft; the petals are irregular, with toothed edges, single or double, in colors such as red, pink, yellow, and white. The flowering period is from 4 to 9 months, and under protected cultivation it blooms in all four seasons.

Growth Habits of Carnations

Carnations prefer a cool, dry ecological environment with ample sunlight and good ventilation. They have good cold tolerance but poor heat tolerance. The optimum growth temperature is 14--21°C; when the temperature exceeds 27°C or falls below 14°C, the plant grows slowly. They are suitable for planting in calcareous soil rich in humus and with good drainage. They like fertilizer.

Variety Classification of Carnations

There are extremely many carnation varieties, with plant characteristics, flower forms, and flower colors varying endlessly, and classification methods also differ.

By flowering habit: one-season flowering type, four-season flowering type.

By flower size: large-flowered type, small-flowered type.

By cultivation method: open-field cultivation type (one-season flowering), greenhouse cultivation type (can bloom continuously).

By cut-flower pruning method: standard type (large-flowered type, one flower per stem), spray type (small-flowered type, multiple flowers per stem).

By different uses: cut-flower varieties, potted varieties.

According to morphology, habits, and breeding origin, they are divided into eight systems (-- from the "Latest Horticultural Dictionary" Japan): garden fragrant fringed pink, daisy-type fragrant fringed pink, Cabo fragrant fringed pink, Anfang.Di.Nasi fragrant fringed pink, giant-flowered fragrant fringed pink, Malmaison fragrant fringed pink, ever-fragrant fringed pink, and small-flowered fragrant fringed pink.

By flower color: (1) Deep red category varieties: flower colors include deep red, pink, and mixed colors, etc.

(2) Purple category varieties: flowers are purple.

(3) Flesh-colored category varieties: flowers are agate-colored, pale yellow, yellow, etc.

By flower size and number: they can also be divided by the size and number of flowers on the stem into two categories: large-flowered fragrant fringed pink and spray fragrant fringed pink.

The Language of Flowers of Carnations

Carnations of different colors have different meanings in the language of flowers.

White carnations: sweet and lovely, innocent, pure love, a gift that brings good luck to women, purity, pure friendship, my living love, my love forever, faith, elegant love, true affection, respect.

Pink carnations: I will never forget you, beauty, youth, passionate love, wishing mother forever young and beautiful; moved, bright and beautiful, maternal love, a woman's love, I love you fervently.

Red carnations: my heart aches for you, appreciation, admiration, obsession, family affection, fervent love, passion, a wounded heart, longing, belief in your love, wishing mother health and longevity, wishing you good health.

Yellow carnations: you disappoint me, abandonment, disdain, long-lasting friendship, gratitude to mother, rejection, reproach, contempt, eternal gratitude, deep friendship.

Beige-red carnations: sorrow.

Dark red carnations: fervent love.

Peach-red carnations: loving you.

Variegated carnations: rejecting your love.

Purple carnations: capriciousness, unpredictability.

Mottled carnations: rejection, I cannot be with you.

Striped carnations: sorry.

Uses of Carnations

Ornamental use. Carnations are excellent cut-flower varieties and the recognized flower of Mother's Day. Their colors are delicate and beautiful, they are fragrant, and their flowering period is long. They are suitable for various flower arrangement needs and are often combined with gladiolus, asparagus fern, asparagus, and ferns to form beautiful bouquets. Dwarf varieties can also be used for potted ornamental display. The flowers can also be used to extract essence.

Carnation flower tea. Carnations have beauty-enhancing and skin-nourishing effects, calm the nerves and quench thirst, clear the heart and brighten the eyes, reduce inflammation and relieve restlessness, promote salivation and moisten the throat, and strengthen the stomach and reduce food stagnation. They have a clear effect on treating headaches and toothaches. They contain various trace elements needed by the human body, can accelerate blood circulation, promote metabolism, clear the heart and remove dryness, detoxify and nourish the skin, and regulate the endocrine system. They also have the effects of strengthening the kidneys and enriching essence, treating consumptive disease, cough, and excessive thirst. They clear the liver and cool the blood, whiten the skin, and remove spots and wrinkles. They can improve blood circulation, enhance the body's metabolism, and have effects such as clearing the heart and removing dryness, detoxifying and nourishing the skin, delaying aging, regulating the female endocrine system, tonifying the kidneys and boosting vitality, strengthening the stomach and stimulating appetite, and regulating blood lipids for weight loss. When brewing carnations, suitable pairings include: forget-me-not, stock, rose king, and wintersweet.