PlantFiles: Dianthus, China Pinks
Dianthus chinensis

Does well in full sun in the heat! A nice alternative to the run of the mill Marigolds in everyone's flower beds in the Summer. Only negative is that you must dead head, dead head, and then dead head some more!

This are back and bigger than ever in my zone 5 garden. An easy plant that requires little care.

I'm in zone 8, ammended clay soil, with full sun. The plants have performed better than any other flowering perennial in my garden. They practically bloom all year (scant in late December/early Jan.) Magnificent, florid blooms in early spring to early summer. Beautiful greenish blue foliage when not blooming as much. Plants have benefitted from deadheading and trimming to four inches (with scissors) after periods of heavy bloom. Have also thinned out some woody growth. Their growth has pleasantly spread (not invasive). The best plants at my house. Super easy to care for. Sporadically fertilized (twice a year)

Plants are beautiful and growing well in partially shaded area so far. First experience with them. Wondering what is normal. Planted this spring (2005) while in bloom. Seems to have done well but after first round of blooms I notice the new buds are turning black or dark brown. Some of the blooms in progress seem to turn dark and die-off. Does anyone know what this means? What should I be doing? Someone suggested "dead-headding". Looks like the new buds are not surviving. Have saved old bloom pods for the seeds later, maybe next year. Comments would be appreciated to [e-mail:jotaito@aol.com].

I have several of these plants, in three different colors of pink. They are perennial here also. I've had them for 5 years and they've been back every year.

Dianthus attract hummingbirds to our garden. I love the diversity of color, they make great plants for flowerboxes.

I was surprised to see such a limited range for hardiness zones for this plant. I got several clumps of multicolors when I was formerly working for a local landscaper and we thinned out the planting for a customer. They have thrived and multiplied as a perennial in my NE Fla garden, staying green through the winter, and having a few blooms year round. They are currently coming into their seasonal heyday for their period of most profuse blooming. It may be that I have a different species? but they look the same as pictured here.

I have them in full sun and I water them frequently during our hot summers. I greatly enjoy them and will be transplanting them to other borders of my garden as they continue to spread.

dianthus do nicely in Hawaii, Zone 11. My red telstar has been blooming for over a year til just recently. Just moved it today as think it was getting too much shade from nearby plant...it's 3rd move, they are pretty hardy little plants. Allwood's Village Pinks aslo do well, different foliage.

I have various Pinks growing and they are perennials in the NE zone 6 area. They are very haerdy and double in size each year. Very easy to split and replant. Deadheading can make them rebloom.

This biennial or short-lived perennial is usally grown as an annual.

Cultivars:Telstar-white,pink,red and bicolors on 6-8in.(15-20cm)tall stems.
Snowfire-white,fringed flowers with a red center. Grows to 8in.(20cm)tall.