Dianthus caryophyllus, commonly called carnation or clove pink, is a type of plant in the Dianthus family. It is originally from the Mediterranean region. Its exact natural range is unclear because it has been grown widely for over 2,000 years. Wild carnations are most often found in the Mediterranean. Carnations are valued for their many colors, soft, frilly petals, and strong, spicy scent. This scent is often compared to clove, cinnamon, or nutmeg, which is why it is sometimes called "clove pink." The fragrance of carnations is used in perfumes, potpourri, and other scented items. In many cultures, carnations symbolize love, respect, and care for mothers. These meanings can vary depending on the flower's color and the region where it is grown.

Taxonomy

Carnations were written about in Greek literature 2,000 years ago. The word "dianthus" was created by a Greek botanist named Theophrastus. This word comes from two Ancient Greek words: "dios," meaning divine, and "anthos," meaning flower. The name "carnation" may have come from the Latin word "corona," which means wreath, garland, or crown, because carnations were used in ceremonial crowns by the Greeks and Romans. Another possible origin is the Latin word "carnis," meaning flesh, which refers to the flower's natural color. In Christian art, the name may also be linked to "incarnatio," meaning God becoming human in the form of Jesus.

Carl Linnaeus described the carnation in the first volume of his book Species Plantarum in 1753. He gave it the scientific name Dianthus caryophyllus. While this name was originally used only for Dianthus caryophyllus, the word "carnation" is also often used to describe other species in the Dianthus genus, especially garden hybrids created by crossing D. caryophyllus with other related plants.

Description

Dianthus caryophyllus is a plant that lives for many years and has soft stems. It grows up to 80 cm (32 in) tall. The leaves are a pale greyish green to blue-green color, are narrow, and can be up to 15 cm (6 in) long. The flowers grow alone or in groups of up to five in a cluster. Each flower is about 3–5 cm (1¼–2 in) wide, has a sweet scent, and naturally appears bright pinkish-purple. People have bred plants with other colors, such as red, pink, yellow, white, and green. Although some flowers are dyed blue for bouquets, no true blue carnation varieties exist. The flowers have both male and female parts and are shaped symmetrically around a center. Four to six small, egg-shaped leaves with pointed tips surround the calyx, and these leaves are about one-fourth the length of the calyx tube.

Distribution and habitat

The wild carnation grows in several countries around the Mediterranean Sea. These countries include Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Albania, Greece, and Turkey.

Cultivation and uses

Carnations grow best in well-drained soil with a neutral or slightly basic pH and need full sunlight. Many types of carnations have been developed for use in gardens. Common examples are 'Gina Porto', 'Helen', 'Laced Romeo', and 'Red Rocket'. Carnations are used in medicine to help with stomach problems and fever. In the past, their scent was used to add flavor to vinegar, beer, wine, sauces, and salads.

When two types of carnations, D. caryophyllus and D. capitatus, are crossbred, the result is a plant that can resist a disease called bacterial wilt caused by Paraburkholderia caryophylli. However, the flowers of this hybrid are not as attractive, so more breeding and backcrossing are needed to improve their appearance. Carnation varieties that lack a strong scent are often chosen for use as boutonnières or "buttonholes" by men.

Symbolism

Carnations often symbolize love, admiration, and special qualities. However, their meanings can vary based on color and cultural traditions.

• The red carnation, like the red rose, is associated with socialism, social democracy, and the labor movement. It has been used in demonstrations on International Workers' Day (May Day).
• In China, carnations are the most common flower used in weddings.
• In Portugal, bright red carnations were used in 1974 when the authoritarian Estado Novo regime was overthrown. This event, which involved a sudden change in government and civil resistance, is known as the Carnation Revolution.
• Light red carnations represent admiration, while dark red carnations symbolize deep love and affection.
• White carnations represent pure love and good luck, while striped (variegated) carnations symbolize regret that a love cannot be shared.
• In the Netherlands, white carnations are linked to Prince Bernhard. He wore one during World War II, and some Dutch people followed this gesture. After the war, white carnations became a symbol of the prince, veterans, and remembrance of the resistance.
• Purple carnations indicate capriciousness. In France, they are a traditional flower given in condolence for the death of a loved one.
• Carnations are the birth flower for people born in January.
• Since Ottoman times, red carnations and tulips have been used in the interior wall paintings of mosques in Turkey. It is often said that tulips represent God, and carnations symbolize Muhammad. However, these flower designs are not unique to mosques but also appear in many other Ottoman traditional art forms.
• In Azerbaijan, red carnations have become a symbol of mourning after their use during the Black January events of 1990, a violent crackdown on civilians by USSR troops.
• In the United States, former President William McKinley considered the red carnation his lucky flower and often wore one on his lapel. After his assassination in 1901, the state of Ohio adopted the red carnation as its state flower to honor McKinley.

The formal name for carnation is dianthus, which comes from Greek and means "heavenly flower" or "flower of Jove."

Carnations are often worn on special occasions, especially Mother’s Day and weddings. In 1907, Anna Jarvis chose a carnation as the emblem of Mother’s Day because it was her mother’s favorite flower. This tradition is now observed in the United States and Canada on the second Sunday in May. Jarvis chose the white carnation to represent the purity of a mother’s love. Over time, this meaning has changed, and now a red carnation may be worn if one’s mother is alive, and a white one if she has passed away.

In Slovenia, red carnations are sometimes given to women on Women’s Day, the 8th of March. However, orchids or roses are often given as well. In Korea, carnations express admiration, love, and gratitude. Red and pink carnations are worn on Parents Day (Korea does not separate Mother’s Day or Father’s Day but has Parents Day on May 8). Sometimes, parents wear a corsage of carnations on their left chest on Parents Day. Carnations are also worn on Teachers Day (May 15).

Red carnations are worn on May Day as a symbol of socialism and the labor movement in some countries, such as Austria, Italy, and successor countries of the former Yugoslavia. The red carnation is also the symbol of the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, thanks to Celeste Caeiro. Green carnations are associated with St. Patrick’s Day and were famously worn by the Irish writer Oscar Wilde. The green carnation became a symbol of homosexuality in the early 20th century, especially through the book The Green Carnation and Noël Coward’s song, "We All Wear a Green Carnation," in his operetta Bitter Sweet. In communist Czechoslovakia and Poland, carnations were traditionally given to women on Women’s Day, along with hard-to-obtain items like tights, towels, soap, and coffee.

After the 1990 uprisings in Azerbaijan, where 147 civilians were killed, 800 injured, and five people went missing, carnations became a symbol of the Black January tragedy. This is linked to carnations thrown into the puddles of blood shed in the streets of Azerbaijan after the massacre.

At the University of Oxford, carnations are traditionally worn during examinations. White carnations

Colors

Carnations cannot naturally make a color called delphinidin, so blue carnations cannot appear through natural selection or traditional plant breeding. This is also true for other popular flowers such as roses, lilies, tulips, chrysanthemums, and gerberas.

In 1996, a company named Florigene used gene technology to take specific genes from petunia and snapdragon flowers to create a blue-mauve carnation. This type was sold as Moondust. In 1998, a violet carnation called Moonshade was sold. By 2004, three more blue-violet or purple carnation varieties had been sold.