Dianthus is a genus prized around the world for its mostly evergreen leaves that are often chalky-blue in color. Although some carnations are used as annuals, most dianthus plants are sun-loving flowering perennials.
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Most dianthus are loved for their clove-scented, fragrant flowers that perfume the garden in spring. Dianthus flower color ranges from white to pink to red and sometimes bicolor. Although dianthus flowers are usually less than 2" across, there are often hundreds of them covering the plant during peak bloom time resulting in a stunning visual impact. Dianthus primarily flower in the spring but some will re-bloom in the summer and fall in favorable conditions. The flowers attract both butterflies and hummingbirds.
For us, growing dianthus in our heat and humidity has always been a challenge, even in well-drained soils. We are always excited when we find a dianthus that performs as well for us as it does in cooler climates. We offer only the best dianthus selections from of our heat and humidity trials for sale. When you're ready to buy dianthus (hardy carnations) for your garden, check out our list of hardy perennial dianthus for sale below.
Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery has been the choice of serious gardeners and plant collectors looking for the best and rarest perennial plants. We are pleased to have received the Perennial Plant Association Retail Award in 2011, the American Horticulture Society Commercial Award in 2002, and to have been selected as one of the Best Mail Order Plant Sources - Garden Design Magazine 2010. Welcome to our family of plant lovers!
We have been quite impressed with the performance of this Dianthus x allwoodii (Dianthus plumarius x caryophyllus) in our summer tolerance trials, which usually make short work of exterminating most dianthus. Dianthus 'Frosty Fire' makes a tight 15" wide mound of very silvery blue foliage, topped in spring with 6" tall, bright cherry red, fragrant flowers. If the plants are deadheaded, we have even seen some summer and fall reblooming...a hummingbird double delight. Dianthus 'Frosty Fire' is totally unfazed by our brutal heat and humidity...one of the best rock garden dianthus we have ever grown! Pot Size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)
This PDN introduction came to us around 1990 from former garden curator James Stevenson. Unlike most biennial sweet williams, our original clump is now over 15 years old. With so many folks asking about it, we finally got busy propagating and officially introduced it in 2001. Dianthus 'Heart Attack' starts flowering in early spring and continues for months with brilliant red-black, carnation-like hummingbird acclaimed flowers atop glossy, dark green, strap-like foliage. Unlike other biennial Dianthus barbatus that we have grown, this one keeps returning and getting better each year. Pot Size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)
(aka: Dianthus 'Siskin Clock') This stunning, new heat-tolerant dianthus comes from English dianthus hybridizer John Whetman. The compact evergreen clumps of grey-green foliage form a 2' wide patch, topped in spring by narrow 8" tall blue spikes of stunning white flowers with a bright red center. To top it off, the edge of each petal is also surrounded by a bright crimson border. We have found this to rebloom well in the early fall...a nice bonus for gardeners and hummingbirds. Pot Size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)
(syn: Dianthus 'Firewitch') Not only is this German hybrid (Kayser & Seibert Nursery, 1957) one of the bluest-foliaged dianthus, it is also one of the most heat-tolerant and certainly the longest-flowering. I was amazed to find this being sold and used regularly in northern and central Florida. The low-growing mat of narrow, silver-blue foliage is topped in early spring by bright magenta single flowers. For us, Dianthus 'Feuerhexe' flowers sporadically all summer and heavily from October into December...a hummingbird attractant. Even after flowering, the intensely colored foliage makes a great color foil in the garden. For best results, plant dianthus in bright light with well-drained soils. It was selected as the 2006 Perennial Plant of the Year by the PPA. Pot Size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)
We are pleased to offer a great white-flowered counterpart to the well-known Dianthus 'Bath's Pink' from the garden of NC plantsman Norman Beal. We have trialed this for several years and are convinced that it performs as well as its parent. The steel-grey foliage makes a tight mound to 4' wide. In early spring, the clumps are topped with very fragrant, heavily-fringed, single white flowers...a hummingbird party plant. If the temperatures are very cool, the flowers may carry the slightest tint of pink. We had been waiting for the white counterpart to Dianthus 'Bath's Pink'...we think this is it. Pot Size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)
We were given this plant many years ago by Linda Askey, longtime garden editor for Southern Living Magazine, who got it from the late Catherine Sims of the Southern Garden History Society. While this may be an old passalong cultivar like Dianthus 'Mrs. Sinkins', we haven't finished the paternity tests, hence the new moniker. Dianthus 'Birmingham' makes a 2' wide patch of steely blue foliage, topped in late April and early May with masses of 1' tall stalks of double white fragrant carnations...a hummingbird favorite. This heat and humidity loving selection is always the talk of our Spring Open House, so we felt it was time to share...enjoy. Pot Size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)
This 2010 Walters Garden introduction makes a compact 6" tall x 20" wide (at 1 year) mound of grey foliage, topped in April and May with 8" tall clouds of frilly double cherry-red fragrant flowers...outstanding in our heat and humidity trials! Dianthus flowers attract hummingbirds. Pot Size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)
From Kevin Hurd, formerly of Walters Gardens, comes this new compact (20" wide at 1 year) hardy dianthus. The 8" tall blue-grey foliage is topped in April and May with 1' tall spikes of frilly sangria-red fragrant flowers, each highlighted with a white center... a hummingbird treat. In our trials, it sailed though our hottest summer in recorded history! Pot Size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)
(aka: originally introduced as Dianthus 'Red Devil') This new PDN introduction was discovered here as a flower mutation on our patch of Dianthus 'Feuerhexe' (Firewitch). Our trials have shown it to be identical to the 2006 PPA Plant of the Year, Dianthus 'Feuerhexe', except in flower color, which is a lovely cherry red instead of the typical pink. The tight mats of powder blue foliage are topped in late April with 8" tall spikes of clove-like fragrant cherry red (RHS 66A) flowers that nearly obscure the foliage. As with the parent, we see sporadic rebloom through summer and into fall...a continual hummingbird delight. Pot Size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)
If you love pink and you haven't grown Dianthus 'First Love', what are you waiting for? This amazing plant from Takii Seed Co. is hardy within a barbed wire strand of the North Pole, has fragrant flowers from spring to frost, and is incredibly easy to grow in a wide range of conditions. The 15" tall spikes of flowers emerge white, change to light pink, then to dark pink, which means you will have all three colors at the same time...like when I wash my clothes when my wife is out of town. I forgot to mention the foliage looks great in the winter...assuming your garden is not under snow. Pot Size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)
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