What are the characteristics of carnations? A complete guide in one article

Other names for carnation

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

Morphological characteristics of carnation

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, grayish green, with swollen nodes, about 50 cm tall, and the leaves are thick, linear, and opposite. The stems and leaves are similar to those of Dianthus chinensis but more robust and covered with a white powder. The flowers are large, 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-lobed; 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, and under protected cultivation it blooms in all seasons.

Growth habits of carnation

Carnation prefers a cool, dry ecological environment with ample sunlight and good ventilation. It has good cold tolerance but poor heat tolerance. The optimal growth temperature is 14--21°C. When the temperature exceeds 27°C or falls below 14°C, the plant grows slowly. It is suitable for planting in calcareous soil rich in humus and with good drainage. It likes fertilizer.

Variety classification of carnation

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

By flowering habit: once-blooming type and four-season blooming type.

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

By cultivation method: open-field cultivation type (once-blooming) and greenhouse cultivation type (continuous blooming).

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

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

According to morphology, habits, and breeding origin, it is divided into eight systems (-- from "The Latest Horticultural Dictionary", Japan): garden pink, marguerite-type pink, Chabaud carnation, Enfant de Nice carnation, giant-flowered carnation, Malmaison carnation, perpetual-flowering carnation, and small-flowered carnation.

By flower color: (1) Scarlet class varieties: flower colors include scarlet, pink, and mixed colors.

(2) Purple class varieties: flowers are purple.

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

By flower size and number: it can also be divided by the size and number of flowers on the stem into large-flowered carnation and spray carnation.

The flower language of carnation

Carnations of different colors have different flower languages.

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

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

Red carnation: my heart aches for you, admiration, worship, infatuation, family affection, passionate love, warmth, a wounded heart, longing, belief in your love, wishing mother health and longevity, wishing you health.

Yellow carnation: you disappoint me, abandonment, disdain, lasting friendship, gratitude to mother, rejection, reproach, contempt, eternal thanks, deep friendship.

Beige-red carnation: sadness.

Dark red carnation: passionate love.

Peach-red carnation: loving you.

Variegated carnation: rejecting your love.

Purple carnation: capriciousness, unpredictability.

Speckled carnation: rejection, I cannot be with you.

Striped carnation: sorry.

The uses of carnation

Ornamental use. Carnation is an excellent cut-flower variety and the recognized flower of Mother's Day. Its flower colors are delicate and beautiful, it is fragrant, and it has a long flowering period. It is suitable for various flower arrangement needs and is 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. Carnation has benefits for beauty and skin care, calming the nerves and quenching thirst, clearing the heart and brightening the eyes, reducing inflammation and relieving irritability, promoting fluid production and moistening the throat, and strengthening the stomach and reducing food stagnation. It has a clear effect on treating headache and toothache. It contains various trace elements needed by the human body, can accelerate blood circulation, promote metabolism, clear the heart and remove dryness, detoxify and beautify the skin, and regulate the endocrine system. It also has the effects of strengthening the kidneys and replenishing essence, treating consumptive disease, cough, and excessive thirst. It clears the liver and cools the blood, whitens the skin, and removes spots and wrinkles. It can improve blood circulation, enhance the body's metabolism, and has effects such as clearing the heart and removing dryness, detoxifying and beautifying the skin, delaying aging, regulating the female endocrine system, tonifying the kidneys and boosting vitality, strengthening and stimulating the appetite, and regulating blood lipids and losing weight. When brewing carnation, it is suitable to pair with: forget-me-not, stock, rose king, and wintersweet.