Scientific name: Dianthus
The green stems are round or angular and erect to ascending. Growth occurs in a branching mode called sympodium. This means that further growth of the shoot axis is continued by the lateral axes rather than the main axis.
The leaves are kept simple. The area of the leaf, also called the leaf blade, is 3 to 8 times as long as it is wide. At the same time, the widest part is the middle. This is called lanceolate.
This results in an oval shape of the leaf blade.
On the main axis, the carnation forms a single or several terminal inflorescence. The entire flower usually consists of five individual leaves with a double perianth. This provides protection for the fertile organs in the bud stage.
The five so-called sepals are tubularly fused at their base. At the outer end they are toothed, notched or slit.
The carnation comes in a wide variety of colors. Among others, red, yellow, pink, white or even green.
From the end of May or June and throughout the summer, the flower can be admired.
The carnation has a capsule fruit. This is ovoid to cylindrical and stands upright in the calyx. The fruit contains dark brown, almost black 40 to over 100 seeds.
Mainly the clove is found in the northern hemisphere. Most often in Europe and Asia. It also grows on difficult sites unsuitable for many other plants. These include dry sandy soils or moist to wet edges of water bodies.
Carnation enjoys extreme popularity and can be planted in your own garden, on the terrace or balcony in pots, boxes or other planters.
If you plant carnations in your garden, feel free to put them in sunny places, where they bloom best. It requires little water, which is why the soil should be dry to slightly moist.
In addition, it can also be used as a cut flower or bouquet in a vase.
Where red carnations represent love, white carnations represent a symbolic promise of eternal fidelity and thus marriage. Whereas yellow flowers symbolize a clear dislike.
It tastes sweeter than its namesake, the clove. You should remove the petal heels beforehand, otherwise you will spoil the sweet taste of the flowers.
It can be eaten plain, candied or coated in chocolate.
In total, there are an estimated 27,000 different varieties worldwide.
Already in ancient times, country and garden carnations were cultivated as ornamental plants, as they quickly gained popularity due to their beautiful flowers and fragrance.
Due to the spread of the Romans to northern regions, it became more and more famous and became a symbol of many groupings. It also became a mark of love, where it acquired a strong meaning.
The scientific name Dianthus translated from ancient Greek means Zeus flower or God flower.
Many flowers are subject to superstitions, even the carnation is said to have a few. The red flowers are said to have sprouted from the blood of Christi’s nail wounds.
And if you pick these carnations, it causes nosebleeds. However, if you put petals of three carnations in your nose, the bleeding stops.
If red Carthusian carnations are picked, they attract a thunderstorm.
However, these superstitions originate from an ancient time and have fortunately not come true over the years so that the beautiful flowers can be picked without hesitation.