Guide Note

The carnation, one of the oldest flowers in the world, is a lightly perfumed perennial plant, believed to be native to the Mediterranean. The natural color of a carnation is a pinkish-purple, but it has been cultivated to include green, yellow, red, and white varieties. It is a popular choice for boutonnières and corsages.

Fast Facts

1. Scientific name: Dianthus caryophyllus
2. Greeks and Romans used carnations in flower garlands
3. Known as "Jove's Flower" in ancient Rome
4. Varieties include annuals, biennials and perennials
5. Birth flower for the month of January
6. National flower of Spain

Carnation Varieties

1. Nelson
2. Africa
3. Sofia
4. Purple Pacal
5. Pink Nelson
6. Dark Donna
7. Tundra
8. Silk Road
9. Roma White
10. Epoca
11. Candy
12. Raggio
13. Prado
14. Havana
15. Madras Blanco

The Mahalo Top 7

1. Wikipedia: Carnation
2. Justgardeners.com: A Dianthus Primer
3. Garden Pages: Carnation
4. ProFlowers: History & Meanings of Carnations
5. Plants For A Future Database: Dianthus caryophyllus (Carnation)
6. The British National Carnation Society
7. The Flower Expert: Carnations

Carnations Information and History

• University of Vermont Extension: Consider Carnations
• Central Square Florist: Carnation
• UK Flowers & Plants Association: Carnation
• Dave's Gardens: Carnation
• Howstuffworks: "Dianthus, Carnation, Pinks: A Profile of a Perennial Flower"

Carnations Images

• Google Image Search: Carnations
• Yahoo! Image Search: Carnations
• Live Search Images: Carnations
• Flickr: Carnation Photos

Carnations Gardening Tips

• • Mahalo's Guide to Gardening

Planting

• The Flower Expert: Growing carnations and care of carnations
• HortFACT: Carnations - Pre-plant Planning for Commercial Production
• WebIndia123.com: Carnation, Dianthus Caryophyllus, Gardening
• The Garden Helper: Growing Dianthus in your garden

Maintenance

• The Gardener's Network: How to Grow Carnations Perennial Flowers  
• The British National Carnation Society: Perpetually Flowering Carnations
• Farmer's Bookshelf: Carnation

Carnations Retailers

Carnations Seeds

• Gurney's Seed & Nursery: Salmon Hardy Carnation  
• SeedLover.com: Carnation, Mixed Color 800 mg
• Amazon.com: Carnation Seeds and Plants

Online Carnations Florists

• • Mahalo's Guide to Online Florists
• Teleflora: Carnations
• 1-800-FLOWERS: Carnations
• FTD: Carnations
• ProFlowers: Carnations

Carnations Blogs and Forums

• The British National Carnation Society Forum

Carnations in Culture

• Oxford Carnations
• Wikipedia: Carnation Revolution
• Symbol of Mothers Day
• BabiesOnline.com: The Carnation is January's Birth Flower

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