dianthus
caryophyllaceae

days to maturity: 100 days
plant spacing: 3 plant per square foot
sunlight requirements: 8-14 hours
look out for: deadhead often to produce more flowers
harvest notes: harvest flower clusters as needed
seasons: winter, spring
annual

Dianthus is a genus of about 300 species that includes the super popular “carnation” and sweet williams. All varities of this genus are edible and some varieties have a distinct clove flavor. We have grown traditional larger carnations before but they don’t do nearly as well as the small flowers that grow in clusters known commonly as “dianthus”. These grow on super vigorous plants that are almost fake looking they’re so robust, green and shiny, and they make 2-3 foot tall strong stems with multiple flower clusters at the top. This makes them really robust cut flower types, but the petite flowers are also a beautiful edible flower option. In order to use the flowers as an edible garnish remove them from the bitter green “calyx” that the petals come out of and sprinkle the petals in drinks, on confections, or in salads. In order to have continued fresh flower harvest make sure to harvest often or “dead head” spent flowers, which will encourage the plant to produce more new flowers for you.