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Dianthus chinensis

China pink

Caryophyllaceae

Northern and central China, Mongolia, Korea, and southeastern Russia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 6–9

Overview

Dianthus chinensis is a short-lived perennial or biennial forming loose mounds 6-18 inches (15-45 cm) tall and 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) wide, most often grown as a bedding annual and replaced each year. Stems are slender, jointed at swollen nodes, and branch near the top. Leaves are opposite, linear to lance-shaped, 1-3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm) long and under 0.25 inch (6 mm) wide, grey-green to blue-green, and clasp the stem in pairs. Flowers are 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) across with 5 broad petals that are jaggedly toothed across the outer third, carried singly or in loose clusters of 2-5 at the stem tips. Colours run through pink, rose, red, white, and bicolours with a contrasting dark eye zone; seed strains are sold in mixed and single colours. Scent is faint to absent, in contrast to D. plumarius and D. caryophyllus, which carry a clove fragrance. Flowering runs from late spring until frost where plants are deadheaded, though bloom slows markedly during periods above 90F (32C) and plants can decline in humid summers. Crowns rot in wet winter soil, and most plants weaken after 2-3 seasons even in USDA zones 6-9 where they are winter hardy.

Native Range

Dianthus chinensis is native to northern and central China, Mongolia, Korea, and southeastern Russia, growing on dry grassy slopes, sandy riverbanks, and open woodland edges. It has been cultivated in Chinese gardens for more than 1,000 years and reached Europe in the early 18th century. It has naturalized in scattered locations in North America and Europe from garden escapes.

Suggested Uses

Used in bedding schemes, border fronts, rock gardens, and edging at 8-10 inch (20-25 cm) spacing, and in containers and window boxes of 1 gallon (4 L) or larger. Flowers are visited by butterflies and bees, and the stems are cut for small posies where their 6-18 inch (15-45 cm) length suits low arrangements. Deer and rabbits generally leave the foliage alone.

How to Identify

Opposite, linear grey-green leaves under 0.25 inch (6 mm) wide, joined at swollen stem nodes, place the plant in Dianthus spp.. The petal margins of D. chinensis are cut into shallow jagged teeth across the outer third rather than deeply fringed into thread-like segments as in D. superbus, and the flowers are 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) across. Beneath each flower sit 4 leaf-like epicalyx bracts that taper to slender points at least as long as the calyx tube. Scent is faint or absent, separating it from the clove-scented D. plumarius.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6" - 1'6"

Width/Spread6" - 1'

Reaches mature size in approximately 1 years

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~18 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

Flowering starts in late May or early June from spring sowings and continues to the first hard frost where spent blooms are removed. The heaviest flush lasts 4-6 weeks in early summer, followed by lighter repeat bloom into September. Flowering pauses during sustained heat above 90F (32C) and resumes as night temperatures fall in late summer. Each flower lasts 5-7 days.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Pink, rose, red, white, and bicolours with a dark eye

Foliage Description

Grey-green to blue-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand chalk

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

90-100 days from sowing to first bloom

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Flowering is heaviest in full sun with 6-8 hours of direct light; in less than 4 hours the stems stretch and flop. Soil should be free-draining and neutral to slightly alkaline at a pH of 6.5-7.5, since acidic or waterlogged ground shortens plant life to a single season. Watering when the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) of soil dries is sufficient, with overhead watering avoided late in the day because wet foliage overnight encourages crown rot and leaf spot. A light balanced feed at planting and again after the first flush is enough; heavy nitrogen produces soft growth prone to collapse. Seed is sown indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost or direct-sown after it, with seedlings thinned to 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) apart. In humid regions, crown rot and rust are the common causes of loss, and spacing that allows air movement between plants reduces both.

Pruning

Removing spent flowers at the stem joint below the bloom keeps new buds forming and extends the display by 6-10 weeks. Shearing the whole plant back by one-third to one-half after the first heavy flush fades, usually in mid-July, triggers a fresh flush within 3-4 weeks. In zones 6-9 the basal foliage is left standing over winter and dead stems are cut back in early spring as new growth appears. Cutting into bare woody stem bases produces no regrowth.

Pruning Schedule

summerearly spring