Carnation, (Dianthus caryophyllus), also called grenadine or clove pink, herbaceous plant of the pink, or carnation, family (Caryophyllaceae), native to the Mediterranean area. It is widely cultivated for its fringe-petaled flowers, which often have a spicy fragrance, and is used extensively in the floral industry. See also pink (Dianthus).
There are two general groups, the border, or garden, carnations and the perpetual flowering carnations. Border carnations include a range of varieties and hybrids, 30 to 75 cm (1 to 2.5 feet) tall; the flowers, in a wide range of colours, are usually less than 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter and are borne on wiry, stiffly erect stems. The bluish green leaves are narrow, sheathing the stems; there are swellings at the junction of leaf and stem.
