Ohio State Flower

Scarlet Carnation (common name)
Dianthus caryophyllus (scientific name)

Overview

The scarlet carnation has long been a common boutonniere for men. In fact, it became the Ohio state flower in 1904 to honor U.S. president William McKinley, an Ohio native, who enjoyed wearing a red carnation on his lapel. Carnations start out as a mound of grasslike bluish or grayish green leaves. Long, slender, tough stalks grow up from the mounds. Buds form on the stalks and bloom in summer, usually in July or August. The flowers have many petals, which have pinked or serrated edges. Stamens are interspersed with the petals and usually not visible.

The flowers normally last a week or up to two weeks in good weather. Since carnations aren’t native to the U.S., they grow mostly in gardens. When the bisexual flowers are pollinated—usually by butterflies—they form capsules containing many tiny seeds. Most gardeners choose to cut the stalks before the flowers form seeds. Seeds ripen a month after the flowers bloom, from August to September. Carnations prefer sun and good drainage, but can tolerate a bit of shade in hotter climates.

Close-up

STATUS

Official

PHYSICAL DETAILS

Duration: Perennial
Plant: Thin, straight leaves with individual flowers on long stalks
Mature Height: 14–16 in (35.5–40.5 cm)
Flowering: July through August
Flowers: 2–3.5 (5–9 cm) wide, multiple serrated petals
Flower Color: Red
Leaves: 1.5–2 in (2.8–5 cm) long, narrow, grasslike
Fruit/Seed Color: Brown

HABITAT

Location: Sunny, open locations or very moderately shaded locations in hotter climates
Range: Most of the U.S., except south Texas and Florida

TRIVIA

• Carnations are not native to the United States, though they grow in American gardens and are an extremely common cut flower throught the country. Where they originally came from is not known, though many believe carnations originated in southern Europe. They’ve been cultivated for thousands of years because of their pretty, ruffled appearance and clovelike fragrance.
• Though it’s no longer common practice in America, in the past the flower’s petals were a common flavoring in sweet syrups and were often coated with sugar to decorate and flavor desserts.

Click to enlarge an image

Scarlet Carnation

Bright, Shiny Carnation

Close-up of Scarlet Carnation

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom:	Plantae
Subkingdom:	Tracheobionta
Superdivision:	Spermatophyta
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Subclass:	Caryophyllidae
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Caryophyllaceae
Genus:	Dianthus
Species:	D. caryophyllus

Author: World Trade Press