Carnation
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Middling It gives warning, with time to act.
Also called Border Carnation, carnadine, clove carnation, clove gilliflower, Clove Gilly-flower, clove pink, coronation, cottage pink, dainty, dainty lady, fair maids of Kent, gilliflower, gilly flower, Gillyflower, grenadine, lusty gallant, pale pageant, picotee, Pinks, sad pageant, sops in wine, Sweet William and Wild Carnation.
Carnation is toxic
- Toxic to cats. Toxic principle: Unknown irritant. Clinical signs: Mild gastrointestinal signs, mild dermatitis. ASPCA
- Toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: Unknown irritant. Clinical signs: Mild gastrointestinal signs, mild dermatitis. ASPCA
- Toxic to people. People and pets: can cause skin allergy; use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H4 — -10 to -5°C -10 to -5 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand, Chalk; pH Neutral or AlkalineRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- ToxicASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- ToxicASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- People and pets: can cause skin allergy; use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
How it usually goes wrong
- Brown tips on the newest leaves first
Leaves on the side of the carnation nearest a heater or vent brown at the edges while those on the far side stay clean.
Dry air takes water from the leaf surface continuously, and the tissue at the edge is last in the queue for what the roots send up. Penn State Extension notes there is no single humidity figure that suits every indoor plant. That applies while it is grown indoors; its RHS rating of H4 describes a plant that also grows outside, where the air is seldom that dry.
Telling it apart: Where the plant stands. Browning concentrated on the side facing a heater points at the air.
Penn State ExtensionCarnation brown leaf tips and edges: causes- Flower buds shed while still closed
Buds on the carnation stop swelling, turn pale at the base and fall, usually a few at a time over a week or two.
Sudden changes in light, warmth or watering cause buds to be abandoned, because a bud is expensive and the plant cannot tell whether conditions will recover. Its source describes full sun.
Telling it apart: A fallen bud under a magnifying glass. Insects or scarring point at pests; a clean bud points at a change or at water.
RHSCarnation leaves falling off: causes- The plant deflates, and lifts again within hours of a soak
The carnation loses its stiffness first at the tips of the newest growth, and the whole pot feels light for its size.
Its source describes well-drained soil. Below that the cells lose pressure, and pressure is what holds a leaf out straight.
Telling it apart: Whether water runs straight through. Compost dried hard sheds water down the sides, which is itself a sign of drought.
RHSDiagnose drooping on this Carnation- Washed-out patches that do not spread to the shaded side
The carnation shows pale, dry patches only where direct sun reaches, often with a sharp edge between damaged and healthy tissue.
Sun through a window on a still day heats a leaf far above the air around it. Its source describes full sun; the glass adds the heat that does the damage.
Telling it apart: The edge of the damage. Scorch has a sharp boundary; rot and infection have a soft, spreading one.
RHSDiagnose spots on the leaves on this Carnation
Not sure which it is? Ask the diagnosis questions for Carnation.
Routine care
- Propagation
- Seed, stem cuttingsNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In summer, root softwood cuttings from shoots that are not flowering.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Deadhead often to extend flowering. Trim lightly after flowering or in spring.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Aphids and slugs can attack it. Disease risks: Fusarium wilt, a virus, a rust and powdery mildews.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Dianthus caryophyllus, commonly known as carnation or clove pink, is a species of Dianthus native to the Mediterranean region. While its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive cultivation over the last 2,000 years, wild carnations are most common in the Mediterranean region. Carnations are prized for their wide variety of colors, delicate fringed petals, and fragrance, often described as spicy, clove-like, or reminiscent of a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg, hence the common name "clove pink". This aroma has made carnations a popular choice for use in perfumes, potpourri, and scented products. Culturally, carnations are associated with affection, distinction, and maternal love, with variations depending on color and area within its wide geographical range.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- Balkan Pen.World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Mediterranean area but exact range unknownNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- temperateWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- subshrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Annual, Herbaceous Perennial, Perennial; habit erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 12–48 in; width 6–12 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.5-1 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 2–5 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers gold/yellow, orange, pink, purple/lavender, red/burgundy, variegated, white; blooms in summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers pink in summer; purple in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
In the past the flowers went into tonic cordials for fevers. They yield an essential oil. In traditional European herbal medicine it is given for heart and nervous disorders. The flowers are edible.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Common problems with Carnation
Plants with similar care
African violetBrown tips on the newest leaves first
Bigleaf hydrangeaA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Bird of paradiseCrisp margins that appear in winter
Busy LizzieBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Calla lilyEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
CamelliaBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.