Carnation - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Carnations, members of the Dianthus family, specifically Dianthus Caryophyllus, have been cultivated for at least 2000 years. It was the Athenians that named the flower Dianthos, from the Greek words dios (devine) and anthos (flower). Gillyflower, another name by which the plant is known, probably came from the French who called dianthus, gelofre. Carnations probably originated in the Pyrenees as single flowered specimens, but none of these naturally occurring, single, wild varieties exist today. The beauty of its flower, its longevity as a cut flower and the ease with which it could be cultivated combined to give it instant popularity in many, many cultures. Early on, the plant was subjected to massive breeding programs and by the early 1700's
View more
