Welcome to the weekend, everyone! For today’s Flower Friday, we’re going to show you something we’ve definitely shown you several times before, but will be entirely unfamiliar!
Dianthus comes in so many shapes, sizes and forms that it can sometimes be difficult to recognize them. This variety is one we’ve grown deeply fond of, called Black Adder. You’ve likely heard of dianthus before if you’ve ever seen a carnation, which is yet another of the near 340 species (and thousands of cultivars) of dianthus out there! Over 100 different varieties of dianthus have been recognized for the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Dianthus are one of the oldest flowers that humans have been hybridizing, with the earliest efforts going all the way back to the early 1700’s. This is why there’s many thousands of cultivars out there. But, the dianthus flower even played a significant role in both Greek and Roman mythology, so the flower is definitely no stranger to humankind across the ages!
Although not all dianthus species are edible, there is a bit of history with using the flower in culinary applications. Certain edible varieties have been used to make teas, syrups, dyes for baked goods and garnish across all sorts of dishes and cocktails. The edible versions of these flowers are often described as peppery, spicy or clove-like and thus are a rather robust flavor.
The claim to fame for dianthus is in the perfume business. The spicy, peppery scent this flower offers has become rather useful within the cosmetic trade. You’ll also find it as a popular cut flower, with nearly all florists keeping stock of this beloved flower.
Across eastern Asia, the dianthus flower has been used medicinally for many thousands of years. It has been used to treat wounds and various gastro-intestinal disorders, as well as a treatment for urinary tract infections.
As usual, when we see see high usage in “ancient” and ayurvedic medicine, modern pharmacology sits down to take notes. Several modern studies have shown dianthus produces several compounds that exhibit antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-cancer properties. One of the more valuable of these for the pharma industry is a phenolic compound called kaempferide triglycoside, which has shown promising results in colon cancer treatments. Dianthus seed extract was also used in early HIV treatments, showing promising results. About 75 species of dianthus have shown value for producing strong bio-activity, meaning modern medicine will likely have much to learn from this flower.
Curiously, the name for the color pink may have originated from dianthus. Way back in the 14th century, when pinking shears were developed, the “frilly” cut these scissors provided was designed to mimic the dianthus flower. Though the exact link to the word pink is unknown, nonetheless, the Greek root of the word dianthus means “divine flower.”
As for us, we’re mostly into dianthus for the looks. We’re constantly adding in new varieties and exploring the vast cultivars this family has to offer. Hardly a year goes by where we aren’t in awe of this flower, divine indeed! We use them in our cut flower arrangements and they are most commonly found as small flowers occupying our container flower gardens. We hope you enjoy this lovely cultivar! Have a great weekend, everyone!
