Kinds of Carnations

Border

• Border carnations, the type that home gardeners typically grow in their gardens, have a bushy growth habit and grow about 2 1/2 feet tall. The blossoms come in a variety of colors, including red, white and pink. In some cases, individual flowers might have blended colors. The blooms typically extend about 2 inches wide and grow on erect stems. A variety of the border carnation called the Picotee has a solid base color with different colors on the petal's margins.

Perpetually Flowering

• Unlike the border carnation, the perpetually flowering carnation is typically grown in a greenhouse for the commercial flower trade. Possibly the result of the breeding of the border carnation and another species, Dianthus plumaris, the perpetually flowering carnation has a longer stem and bears larger blossoms than the border carnation, making it a more suitable choice for a cut flower. The plant blooms all year round when grown in the greenhouse, giving rise to its name.

Dwarf

• Dwarf carnations, hybrids bred specifically to produce a smaller plant, make ideal potted plants either as houseplants or for an outdoor container garden. Most carnations have significant light requirements for vigorous flowering, but some dwarf varieties have been bred to successfully flower with a lower amount of light. When grown as indoors plants, dwarf carnations need plenty of sun to flower properly, since they are "long-day" plants and need at least 13 hours of sunlight for two to three weeks to produce blooms.

Other

• The Marguerite carnation grows from seed and makes a good choice for either a houseplant or an outdoor plant. Home gardeners typically treat it as an annual, discarding it at the end of the growing season. It flowers more profusely than most greenhouse-grown carnations. The Malmaison variety carnations originated in France and bear large fragrant blooms. Plants often live no longer than two years, so home gardeners must expect to replace them on a regular basis.