Dianthus plumarius
Dianthus plumarius
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Prefers a neutral to slightly alkaline soil in a sunny well-drained position[1]. Succeeds in dry soils and in poor soils[1]. Plants can be grown on walls[1]. There are many named forms, selected for their ornamental value[1]. The flowers are very fragrant[2], diffusing a powerful clove-like scent[3]. Individual plants become rather untidy after a few years and are best replaced every 2 - 4 years[1]. Some older cultivars, such as 'Sops in Wine' have a tendency to flower themselves to death. These should be grown in a richer soil in order to encourage the production of more foliage and should not be allowed to flower in their first year[1].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings, taken at flowering time, with four pairs of leaves and trimmed just below a joint[1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Dianthus+plumarius>
Pollinators
Insects
References
- [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [2]Flora of the British Isles. — Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. · Cambridge University Press · 1962 · ISBN - ↩︎A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
- [3]Scented Flora of the World. — Genders. R. · Robert Hale. London. · 1994 · ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
- [4]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.