Clusters of purple-pink flowers open on this garden carnation in spring and keep coming into early fall. Delilah™ Bicolor Purple (Dianthus plumarius) grows about 10 inches tall and 14 inches wide in full sun to part sun, hardy from Zone 4 through Zone 9, and fills out within a season or two.
The flowers are fragrant and bloom continuously over that long season rather than in one spring flush. They make good cut flowers, and the plant forms a mound of blue-green leaves.
The genus name Dianthus comes from the Greek for divine flower, and many garden pinks carry frilled, saw-toothed petal edges and the spicy clove scent that has kept them in gardens for centuries. The leaves hold their color through much of the winter in milder areas, though hard, open winters brown the tips. Pinks need well-drained soil and air around the crown; heavy, wet soil and mulch piled against the plant cause more losses than cold does, and deer tend to leave them alone.
It fits a container, the edge of a sunny walk or a cutting garden; it blooms most heavily in full sun.
Size at Maturity
Height 10" Spread 14"
Growing Zone
USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9
Lowest Temperatures -30°F to -20°F
Light Requirements
Full sun to part sun- at least 4 hours direct sun per day
Special Conditions
Fragrant
Seasons of Interest
How to Plant
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