History of Carnations

Carnations are native to Southern Europe, where they have grown for over 2000 years. Introduced to the United States in the early 1800's, carnations were grown in "hot houses" in the New England states which provided a suitable climate. Carnations travelled across the country as did immigrants. The American Carnation Society was founded in 1892 (later dissolved in 1981) and an American author, Mr. Charles Willis Ward, wrote The American Carnation - How to Grow It in 1903.

The variety generally known in North America, Dianthus caryophyllus, is grown in greenhouses due to extreme summer temperatures. The plants are usually 2-3 1/2 feet tall with large terminal double ruffled flowers. The most common colors are red, white, and pink, with less common colors yellow and purple. Solid color carnations are called "selfs". If striped with one color, they are known as "flakes"; "bizarres" if striped with two or three colors. "Picotees" have petals edged or bordered by another color. Unusual colors may appear, often associated with holidays such as green for St. Patrick's Day. Such colors are created by adding dye to the water that the stem sit in after they've been cut.

Carnation history starts with mention of its use in garlands worn by the classical Greeks and Romans. It was referred to in Roman mythology and Pliny noted the Carnation in natural history records in 50 B.C. Carnations have been used medicinally to control fevers and expel poison, as a dye for black hair, and to flavor beer, ale, and wine.

Dianthus comes from the Greek words "dios", refering to the god Zeus, and "anthos", meaning flower, thus we have divine flower or flower of the gods (named by the Greek botanist Theoparastus).

The name Carnation may have originated from the word 'coronation', or 'corone' (which means flower garland), for Carnations were one of the flowers used to make ceremonial crowns in Greece. Also coronations were decorative headbands made of woven flowers worn by young maidens. Carnations were used for this. And 'pink' is derived from a word meaning scalloped describing the shape of the edges of carnation petals.