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According to a Christian legend, Carnations first appeared on earth as Jesus carried the Cross. Carnations sprang up from where the Virgin Mary's tears fell as she cried over her son's plight. | |
Miss. Anna Jarvis (The Founder of Mother's Day) used Carnations at the first Mother's Day celebration because Carnations were her mother's favorite flower. |
Of the several kinds of Carnations, the three most common are the annual carnations, border carnations and perpetual-flowering carnations.
Carnations are also commonly referred to by their scientific name, "Dianthus", the name given by the Greek botanist Theopharastus. Carnations got the name Dianthus from two Greek Words - "dios", referring to the god Zeus, and "anthos", meaning flower. Carnations are thus known as the "The Flowers of God".
Another reason why carnations have become popular is because they come in numerous colors and each color of carnation has a different meaning. Some of these meanings are listed below.
Carnations | What they Mean |
---|---|
Carnations in general | Fascination, Woman's Love |
Pink Carnations | Mother's Love |
Light red Carnations | Admiration |
Dark red Carnations | Deep Love and a Woman's Affection |
White Carnations | Pure Love and Good Luck |
Striped Carnations | Regret, Refusal |
Green Carnations | St. Patrick's Day |
Purple Carnations | Capriciousness |
Yellow Carnation | Disappointment, Dejection |
It is a good idea to check the meaning of the particular color or type of carnation before you gift them to someone.
The single flowers of the Carnations species, Dianthus caryophyllus have 5 petals and vary from white to pink to purple in color. Border Carnation cultivars may have double flowers with as many as 40 petals.
When grown in gardens, Carnations grow to between 6 and 8.5 cm in diameter. Petals on Carnations are generally clawed or serrated.
Carnations are bisexual flowers and bloom simply or in a branched or forked cluster. The stamens on Carnations can occur in one or two whorls, in equal number or twice the number of the petals.
The Carnation leaves are narrow and stalk less and their color varies from green to grey-blue or purple. Carnations grow big, full blooms on strong, straight stems.
Carnation cultivars are mainly of three types:
Learn more on Growing Carnations...
It is always a good idea for both an avid gardener as well as a beginner to invest in a good book on gardening. To view books on Gardening online click here.