Since forever people have been absolutely crazy about Dianthus. We cannot deny that Dianthus is a divine flower and that we have fallen in love with its alluring looks, colours, lavish blooms and long shelf-life. It is about time we give you some background information about Dianthus, or ‘Carnation’ as this flower is also called.
Origin
The birth ground of Dianthus is most probably in the sunny south of Europe, around the Mediterranean sea to be more exact. We say this with some caution, because the carnation has been cultivated so extensively that it is hard to pinpoint the exact area of its origin.
It is assumed that around 300 b.C. Greek botanist Theophrastus gave name to this flower. The meaning of the name ‘Dianthus’ is actually quite lovely: in Greek ‘Dios’ means god and ‘Anthos’ means flower, together this is ‘the flower of God’. But the legend on which this name is based is a little disturbing (as legends usually are): Diana the Goddess took a liking on a shepherd boy. But unfortunately for the goddess, the boy didn’t share the same feelings for Diana and turned her down. Diana did not took this lightly. Overtaken by anger she ripped out the eyes of the shepherd boy and threw them on the ground, where they sprouted into the carnation flower.
Mythology
Throughout the centuries the carnation has been a very popular flower. This is very obvious due to the many symbolic purposes this flower has served and still serves. We name just a few below:
According to Christian legend, Dianthus first came to earth when Jesus carried the Cross. The Virgin Mary cried as she watched her sun suffer from his burden. Where her tears fell, carnations sprang up from the earth, making the pink carnation the symbol of a mother’s undying love for her children.
In Chinese culture the Dianthus is one of the most used flowers in wedding arrangements, while children in Japan give this flower at mother’s day just like they do in Northern America.
In the Netherlands the white Carnation is symbol for veterans. This started back in World War II and even after the war it carried on to become a symbol for veterans and remembrance of the resistance.
In politics a red Carnation is sometimes seen as symbol for socialism and the labour movement. Historically, the flower has been used in demonstrations on International Worker’s day.
Colours & variations
From Italy, we have a large Dianthus selection available in our assortment. Which can roughly be divided into two categories: the spray Dianthus with multiple flower heads and the single Dianthus. We mostly offer single Dianthus in a wide colour range: from the purest whites to blush pink and bright yellow, we even offer green varieties!
Click here to view the total Dianthus assortment. Log in to shop the currently available Dianthus’ varieties.
