Dianthus carthusianorum
Carthusian pink
Common names: Cartusian pink, Carthusian carnation
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 10 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −30 °C
- Water need
- Low
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Audrius Meskauskas (Audriusa) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The Carthusian pink, botanically Dianthus carthusianorum, is a native perennial of dry, nutrient-poor meadows and sunny slopes. It forms loose tufts of narrow, grass-like leaves, from which stiff stems rise to usually 30 to 50 cm. From June to September they bear dense heads of small, deep purple-red flowers. Butterflies, bumblebees and other wild insects visit them readily. In the garden it suits rock gardens, gravel beds, sunny embankments and wildflower meadows on lean soil. The plant has become rare in the wild because nutrient-poor grassland is disappearing. Do not pick or dig it up in nature. Plants and seed are available from nurseries. For meadows, regional seed mixes are the best choice.
Care instructions
Plant the Carthusian pink in spring or September in a full-sun, warm spot with lean, well-drained soil, keeping about 25 cm between plants. Water during dry spells in the first summer, after which rain is usually sufficient. No fertilizer is needed. Leave some seed heads standing in late summer, as the plant lives on self-seeding and so persists in the garden, even though older plants may disappear after a few years. Recognize young seedlings by their narrow, grass-like leaves and leave them in place if they are growing where you want them. In early spring, cut the tufts back to about a hand's width. Typical mistakes are rich, damp soil, which makes the plants topple over, and shade, in which they hardly flower.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May, Sep
FloweringJun–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 10 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, lime-loving, dry
The Carthusian pink grows wild on dry, lean soils, often over lime, and that is also its ideal in the garden. It loves sandy, stony or sandy-loamy soil that lets water through quickly, and a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. In heavy, damp soil it rots; in rich garden soil it becomes tall, soft and flops over. Mix loam with plenty of sand or grit, or build a small mound.
Feeding
Light feeder
The Carthusian pink needs no fertiliser. It is used to nutrient-poor grassland, and if fertilised it becomes tall, soft and flops over. In a container, too, a lean, mineral soil is enough; in spring, just replace part of it with fresh, sandy soil.
Overwintering
The Carthusian pink is fully hardy and needs no protection. Wet soil is more dangerous than frost, so water should drain away well in winter. Leave the clumps standing over winter and cut them back to a hand's breadth only in early spring. In a container, put the pot against a house wall sheltered from rain.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
The easiest way to propagate the Carthusian pink is by sowing. From March, sow in trays, and in April and May or in September also directly in place, covering the seeds only thinly. On open, lean ground it also self-seeds, which is a good way of keeping it in the garden, since individual plants do not get old. To allow this, leave a few seed heads standing in autumn. In June you can also take non-flowering shoots as cuttings and insert them into sandy soil. Never collect seed in the wild; use regional seed or seed from a nursery.
For your garden
Grow Carthusian pink yourself
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