Description
Dianthus superbus | Pink ‘Spooky’
Pink, also known as Cottage Pinks or Garden Pinks, are a genus of flower that includes 300 varieties grown as annuals, biennials and evergreen perennials. The perennial form here—also called Pinks—are evergreen or semi-evergreen. While many cottage pinks are in fact pink, that is not why they bear that name. The name comes from an old English word for the scissors that tailors use to serrate or zigzag the edges of fabric. “Pynken” were shears that gave fabric the same ragged or serrated edges these little flowers have. Now folks call them “pinking shears.”
This low-growing perennial Dianthus variety, known as ‘Spooky’ or ‘Fringed Pink’ has a native range from Italy north to Scandinavia and east through Russia and Japan. It’s suitable for rock gardens, along paths, as a ground cover, and along borders. The exotic looking fragrant flowers have deeply cut petals with fringed edges and individual plants will have shades of lilac, rose, carmine, white, purple, or pink in color. All Dianthus varieties do best with good drainage. Overwatering or clay soils is the kiss of death for them. Most Dianthus species have silvery-blue foliage that resembles clumps of ornamental grass that is attractive even when the plant is not in bloom.
Plants do exceptionally well in heat and drought conditions. Easy to grow and blooms from seed the first year. More than once, if dead-headed! Dianthus superbus ‘Spooky’ will reward you by self sowing.
Germinates best when overwintered. Sow outdoors September through February, Or start indoors. Seeds can take up to 30 days to germinate.
Type: Perennial
Sun exposure: Sun to part sun
Mature height: 6-12 inches tall
Mature width: 8-12 inches
Hardiness zone: 4-8