Carnations: meaning, colours and vase care

A flower with a very long memory

The carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) is a Mediterranean plant that gardeners have moved around for centuries. Its genus name comes from Greek words meaning something like divine flower, and the warm, peppery scent is the reason for an old nickname, clove pink. Modern florist carnations come in two main forms: standard types with one big bloom per stem, and spray types that carry several smaller buds and suit posies.

What each colour says

• Red: admiration and romantic love, in a quieter register than a red rose.
• Pink: gratitude and warm affection, and the colour most people associate with a gift for Mum.
• White: purity, good wishes and remembrance, which is why white carnations turn up at farewells as often as at weddings.
• Yellow: in old Victorian flower language it meant disappointment, though few people read it that way today.
• Purple: whimsy and the unexpected.
• Blue and green: not natural. White carnations drink dye through the stem, so these shades are always tinted. There is also no true black carnation, only very dark maroon.

Where carnations fit in an Australian year

Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday in May, when autumn is under way, and carnations are a sturdy alternative to the traditional chrysanthemum. They also hold up through a summer Christmas or a hot February birthday better than fragile blooms, and a white bunch is a gentle choice for funeral and sympathy flowers. If you would like to send flowers that will still look good when the recipient gets home from work, carnations are a sensible pick.

Getting the most out of them in warm weather

• Trim the stems on an angle just above a joint, and strip any leaves that would sit under water.
• Start with a scrubbed vase and fresh water, and replace it every second day. Bacteria shorten the life of carnations quickly.
• Keep the vase away from the fruit bowl. Ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas, which ages carnations faster than almost any other cut flower.
• Choose the coolest room in the house, out of direct sun and away from the air-conditioner outlet.

Our guide to the language of flowers explains what different blooms mean, and the care tips cover every bouquet. It is simple to buy flowers online and have them arrive at the door.

If you grow your own

Garden pinks want full sun, free-draining soil and airflow between plants. Water at the base, not over the leaves, and watch for aphids in warm spells.