Types and varieties of cloves

Carnation is a charming herbaceous plant of the clove family, whose low bushes are covered with flowers of various colors. The name of this genus of flowers was given by the Swedish naturalist Karl Linnaeus. Translated from Greek, Dianthus means "divine flower". The genus of carnations includes both perennials and biennials and even annuals.

The carnation has a herbaceous or semi-lignified stem, smooth, with pronounced nodes. On the stem, narrow, long leaves of green, bluish or even blue tones are located oppositely. At the ends of the stems, there are single flowers or flowers collected in an inflorescence-shield. The flower cups are tubular, fused, five flat petals with denticles or fringes along the edge.

The color of the petals can be very different: red, pink, lilac, burgundy, white, up to yellow and green. There are carnations with variegated petals, painted in several colors at the same time, with strokes, spots, a border around the edge.

Each flower has 10 stamens and a pistil with two columns. After flowering, cylindrical single-celled seed bolls are formed, crowned with 4 cloves, along which a ripe boll opens, and black small, flat, slightly lumpy round or oval seeds pour out of it.

The genus of carnations has about 300 species, of which only a few are used in decorative floriculture. Let's consider some of the varieties.

• Field carnation (meadow) Is a perennial plant of the genus carnations. In the wild, it is distributed everywhere in meadows, forests, steppes. Loves sandy soil. The root system is superficial, so this species is very unpretentious, morning dew is enough for watering it. Very narrow long green leaves. The flowers are numerous, bright pink with serrated petals, below each petal is greenish. Field carnation blooms at the end of summer, forming whole clumps of pink clouds; at the end of autumn, the stems die off.

• Sand carnation - a type of perennial carnation, the number of which is declining. Grows in large groups. The root of the plant is creeping, woody, the leaves are narrow (up to 2 mm), elongated. On a 30-centimeter stem, there are one or more snow-white and sometimes light pink fragrant flowers with fringed petals. The plant blooms all summer. This type of carnation is drought-resistant and unpretentious.

• Fischer's carnation - a rare species of carnation listed in the Red Book. The root is powerful, creeping. On low stems there are 1-2 flowers with dark pink uneven-toothed petals. Blooms from early summer to September inclusive.

• Grass carnation (forest, deltoid) - ubiquitous species growing on sandy soils of steppes, meadows, forests. The root is shallow, short, branched. It blooms from early August to mid-October with small, odorless carmine-red flowers.

• Needle-leaved carnation (needle-leaved) - a very rare wild-growing semi-shrub with a long root extending deep into the soil, the root branches off at the surface of the earth. The needle-leaved carnation is gray-green in color and, as the name implies, the leaves are so narrow that they resemble needles. It blooms in early summer with deeply dissected white fragrant flowers that attract moths as pollinators.

• Carnation Borbash - perennial tall species, reaching half a meter in height. Leaves are narrow-linear. At the end of the stems, there are bunches of bright pink flowers that bloom in June-July.

• Armeriiform carnation - one- or biennial plants, differing from other carnations in pubescent stem and leaves. The flowers are lilac, collected in 3-6 in the inflorescence-shield. The rhizome is creeping, superficial.

• Chinese carnation - a type of perennial carnations. In the garden, under good conditions, the bush grows thick, up to 50 cm tall. Narrow lanceolate leaves can have shades of green and gray-blue tones. The flowers of the Chinese carnation can be white, red, pink, lilac, purple, burgundy and others. Petals can be either monochromatic or painted in several colors at the same time. Chinese carnation can be double, semi-double and simple. At the same time, flowers are found large (then there are few of them on the plant) and small (the smaller, the more flowers on the bush).

• Turkish carnation (bearded) - a type of herbaceous perennial plants cultivated as biennials. Low bushes (40 cm) of various green shades. In the first year, the plant has only shoots with leaves, in the second year, tall (up to 60 cm) peduncles appear with bright fine-toothed flowers of various shades (white, red, burgundy, pink, black, variegated). Numerous flowers (there can be up to 30 of them at the same time) can be simple and double, collected in inflorescences-shields. The bracts have very long thin ends, resembling hair, which is why the flower received its second name: bearded carnation. This carnation blooms for a month and a half starting from the first decade of summer.

• Dutch carnation (garden) - a species that unites many groups, hybrids and forms of carnations. The plant is perennial, but is grown as biennial. The leaves are narrow, long with a bluish bloom, collected in a basal rosette, from which in the second year shoots grow, crowned with large (up to 6 cm in diameter), various shades of large-toothed flowers with a pleasant aroma. Flowering continues throughout the second half of the summer.

The types of cloves described above include many varieties.

A whole series of garden carnations. Bushes are decorative, herbaceous, densely branching, fast-growing, compact, suitable for growing as a pot culture. The plant is perennial, but freezes out in the northern regions, therefore it is grown there as an annual, blooming in the year of sowing.

The series "Sanflor" includes the following varieties, differing in diameter and shade of flowers: "Sunfloor alura" (bright pink, 6 cm), "Sunfloor bettle" (dark purple, 6 cm), "Sunfloor bling" (light orange with a darker center, 6 cm), "Sunfloor jaguar" (purple, 4 cm), Sunflower Jolina (pink, 4 cm), Sunflower Cosmos (snow-white, 4 cm), Sunflower Lady Gaga (deep purple, 6 cm), Sunflower Megan (bicolor - edge of each petal light pink, base scarlet, 4 cm), "Sunflower Mimi" (orange with dark strokes, 5 cm), "Sunflower burrow" (pink, 4 cm), "Sunflower Orinoco" (bicolor petals with a dark pink base and almost white border, 5 cm), Sunflower red bull (bright red, 6 cm), Sunflower red esta (cherry center, snow-white border, 4 cm), Sunflower phaganza (purple, 5 cm), Sunflower citron "(light yellow, 5 cm)," Sunflower esta "(tricolor - pink petals with a white edging, in the center of the flower there is a cherry circle, 4 cm).

A perennial garden carnation, excellent for outdoor cultivation. The bush grows up to 80 cm.Leaves with a bluish-gray bloom. The flowers are pink, 3-5 cm in diameter. The variety is unpretentious, drought-resistant.

A hybrid series of garden dwarf carnations, bred by Japanese breeders. Differs in densely branching miniature bushes (20-25 cm high), which do not require pinching or pruning. Blooms all summer long with large 6-centimeter flowers of white, pink, orange, lilac, yellow shades.

An unusual ground cover variety of herbal carnation, characterized by simple blue-blue flowers, abundantly covering a low (up to 30 cm) bush. The plant is perennial, but when planted through seedlings, it blooms in the first year.

A variety of Turkish carnations. A spherical bush 50 cm high is covered with burgundy-black velvet flowers with a dark pink center. Blooms throughout the summer. The variety is unpretentious, frost-resistant, develops well even in shady areas.

A very attractive variety of Turkish carnations. Fragrant large flowers (1 cm in diameter) are painted in bright colors: red with a darker center. The plant can grow on any soil, loves sunny places, but feels good in partial shade.

Turkish carnation. Tall bushes (50 cm) are densely covered with deep purple inflorescences with light strokes. The plant is suitable for cutting. The "Purple Mountain" blooms throughout July. This carnation is undemanding to the conditions of detention. It grows on any soil, blooms well in the sun and in partial shade.

Turkish carnation with an unusual color of flowers in dark purple shades with a contrasting white eye and the same border. Each petal has numerous sun-shaped strokes. Bush 40 cm high blooms throughout July.

A variety of Chinese carnations. Very spectacular double black flowers with a white border on a low lush bush (30 cm high). This annual plant is completely unpretentious; even a novice florist can grow it.

A variety of sand carnation. It is a perennial plant grown as an annual. Bushes 30 cm high are covered with snow-white fringed flowers with a strong pleasant aroma. If you remove wilted inflorescences in time, then the flower will delight you all summer. Carnation prefers a sunny location and tolerates drought well.

Grass carnation variety. This is a groundcover perennial plant 40 cm high, the leaves and stems are covered with a short fluff. From June to September, it is covered with bright scarlet small fragrant flowers. Drought and frost resistant variety. Withstands a drop in temperature to -40 degrees.

A very attractive ground cover variety of herbal carnation. Differs in bright bicolor flowers with a cherry center, lightening towards the center, and a snow-white border. The flowers are large, up to 2 cm in diameter. It blooms for three months from July to October. Bushes are low - 20-25 cm. The plant is perennial, undemanding to growing conditions.

Varietal mixture of Shabo cloves. Tall (up to 70 cm) plant, characterized by lush fragrant flowers of bright red and pink shades. This annual prefers sunny areas, does not withstand even short-term frosts.

A tall plant topped with large bright yellow flowers with a strong aroma. Suitable for cutting. It is grown by seedlings as an annual plant.

Grenadine carnation variety. It is a biennial plant with light blue leaves and stems. The leaves grow in a bunch at the very base. The stems reach half a meter. Bloom in July in the second year after planting. The flowers are dark burgundy, large, up to 5 cm in diameter, with a light pleasant aroma. The "Lady in Black" variety responds well to watering and feeding.

Shabo carnation variety. Bushes 70 cm high. Flowers are densely double, snow-white, with a pleasant smell. On one plant, up to 20 large 6 cm flowers open. Carnation prefers loose, fertile soils and a sunny location.

Cloves of grenadines. A biennial plant, very spectacular due to large double flowers of a pink-coral shade. They reach 6 cm in diameter and have a delicate aroma. Bushes 60 cm high have a bluish bloom. In the first year, it is advisable to cover the carnation for the winter. In the second year, the plant blooms throughout July. "Rose" is unpretentious, it will feel good on light soils and sunny areas.

Low-growing creeping variety of herbal carnation. Green bushes, densely branched, covered with numerous snow-white flowers with a thin cherry ring in the middle of each. Blooms all summer, in winter the aboveground part does not die off. In regions with very low temperatures, shelter for the winter is desirable. The rest of the variety is quite unpretentious.

Garden carnation. A medium-sized perennial plant 60 cm high. Leaves and stems are covered with a bluish-blue waxy coating. Terry beige inflorescences with red strokes, large (up to 6 cm in diameter). When cut, they do not fade for a very long time. Blooms in the second year in the second decade of summer. For the winter, it requires shelter, but at the same time it can withstand a short-term drop in temperature to -3 degrees. Prefers fertile soils, well-lit places.

A variety of Chinese carnations. Annual. It grows rapidly, forming beautiful bushes with single large flowers (white with a red center), up to 4 cm in diameter. Does not tolerate stagnant water, prefers to grow on sunny loams.

Shabo carnation variety. A perennial plant grown as an annual. The bush is compact, branched, 60 cm tall. Large (up to 7 cm in diameter) densely double inflorescences of a bright rich orange hue are very decorative. They are located one on each shoot of the flower stem. Cloves grow well on fertile loams.

Since the carnation includes a variety of shapes, types and varieties, different in color of leaves and flowers, it is widely used in landscape design.

It can be used as a curb plant. On alpine slides and stone gardens, creeping species and varieties of carnations with silver or bluish foliage will look good.

A good solution would be to plant creeping varieties of this plant in small groups on the lawn, this will create beautiful color spots on a green background.

Fragrant varieties of carnations can be planted at the entrance to the house, in balcony boxes.

It will go well with any other plants in a flowerbed or in a mixborder, you just need to correctly arrange the color scheme.

A carnation will brighten any garden area.

See below for more details.