Carnation
The carnation was the default cheap flower of the 1980s and paid for it with a lasting image problem. Modern breeding has restored it — the Mörelex, Lege, and Prado series carry 60+ petals in painterly colour gradients that rival garden roses at 20% of the price. A revival flower for florists willing to look past legacy stigma.
| Family | Caryophyllaceae |
|---|---|
| Origin | Mediterranean; commercially grown Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya |
| Peak season | all year |
| Availability | all year |
| Stem length | 40–70 cm |
| Vase life | 14–21 days |
| Colors | white, cream, yellow, orange, peach, pink, coral, red, burgundy, purple, green, bicolor |
| Price tier | budget |
Cut on a diagonal above a node (between the joints). Fresh water, no special treatment.
- •Ethylene-sensitive — keep away from fruit and other decaying flowers
- •Extremely long vase life — 2–3 weeks
- •Novelty dyed varieties in colours nature doesn't produce (rainbow, blue)
- •The unfairly-maligned flower of the industry — modern varieties are excellent
16 named carnation cultivars from the Lacy Bird master catalogue — each a distinct commercial variety.
Entries marked ✦ come from the Acanta master catalogue — the shared database of cut flowers, forms, colours and named varieties that florists and studios build on. The rest are our editorial genus reference. What is Acanta →
Bouquet Builder — by Lacy BirdDesign the bouquet. See it as a photo.
Botanical reference
- Common name
- Border Carnation
- Also known as
- standard carnation, spray carnation, clove pink, Caryophyllus domesticus, Caryophyllus tunica, Dianthus acinifolius, Dianthus arbuscula, Dianthus arenarius, Dianthus arrectus, Dianthus binatus, Dianthus caryophyllus carduinus, Dianthus caryophyllus coronarius
- Distribution
- Albania, Greece, Manizales, NW. Balkan Pen.
- Cold storage
- 0–1 °C
- Ethylene sensitivity
- sensitive
- Uses
- medication
Open-data sources: GBIF, Wikidata (CC0/CC BY), USDA Agriculture Handbook 66 (public domain)
Frequently asked questions
When is Carnation in season?
Carnation peaks in all year, and florists can usually source it all year. Availability shifts by region and greenhouse supply.
How long does Carnation last in a vase?
Expect 14–21 days with proper conditioning — a clean vase, fresh water every couple of days, flower food, and a cool spot away from ripening fruit and direct heat.
What can I use instead of Carnation?
Good substitutes for Carnation include Chrysanthemum, Spray rose. Match on look, colour and season — our substitute finder ranks the closest alternatives.
What does Carnation symbolise?
Carnation is associated with fascination, distinction, love (varies by colour).
How do you care for cut Carnation?
Ethylene-sensitive — keep away from fruit and other decaying flowers
Related flowers
Free to quote and cite with attribution and a link back, for non-commercial and editorial use (blogs, journalism, classrooms, research).
Lacy Bird Flower Encyclopedia — “Carnation”. https://lacybird.com/flowers/carnation/<a href="https://lacybird.com/flowers/carnation/">Lacy Bird Flower Encyclopedia — Carnation</a>