• Photo of Dianthus chinensis (Dianthus chinensiss)

Plant Profile: Dianthus chinensis

Taxonomy: Dianthus chinensis

Names

Chinese Pink, French Mignonette, Indian Pink, Japanese Pink, Pinks, Rainbow Pink

  • Photo of Dianthus chinensis (Dianthus chinensiss)

Phonetic Spelling:dy-AN-thus chi-NEN-sis

Genus:Dianthus

Species:chinensis

Family:Caryophyllaceae

China pinks are typically classified as biennials or short-lived perennials, though they are often cultivated as annuals due to their poor performance in hot, humid summer conditions. These plants thrive in average, well-drained soil with moisture levels ranging from dry to medium, preferring full sunlight but benefiting from afternoon shade in hotter regions. Characterized by their profusion of flat, heavily fringed flowers featuring a darker central eye, China pinks require regular deadheading and trimming following periods of abundant blooming to promote further flowering.

**Challenges:**
China pinks can face issues such as crown rot and rust if planted in poorly drained soil. Additionally, they may attract slugs and snails when grown in overly shaded areas.

Dianthus chinensis Feature Summary

Dianthus chinensis Image Gallery

Tags

#hummingbirds
#red
#white
#poisonous
#full sun tolerant
#small spaces
#houseplant
#annual
#drought tolerant
#low growing
#biennial
#pink flowers
#medicinal
#fall interest
#cottage garden
#upright form
#herb garden
#cpp
#mounding
#edging
#well-drained soil
#neutral ph
#summer flowers
#deer resistant
#herbaceous perennial
#borders
#spring interest
#clumping
#fantz
#asian garden
#sandy soils tolerant
#clay soils tolerant
#dry soils tolerant
#butterfly friendly
#fringed flowers
#partial shade tolerant
#HS302
#problem for cats
#problem for dogs
#bee friendly
#problem for horses
#container plants

Similar Plants

Dianthus chinensis is often confused with:

Dianthus chinensis Feature Summary

Attributes
This plant is used in Chinese herbal medicine as a bitter tonic to stimulate the digestive and urinary systems and bowels to treat cystitis, urinary stones, and constipation. It is also used externally for skin inflammations and swellings. The plants are harvested before the flowers bloom and then dried.
Northern China, Korea, Mongolia, and southeastern Russia
Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds
Perennial
Annual
Biennial
Fragrance
Attracts Pollinators
Colorful
Attractive Flowers
Fruit
The cylindrical capsule is surrounded by sepals; black seeds are flattened globes.
< 1 inch
Flowers
flowers 5-parted, often fragrant, pink-lilac, pink-purple or white.
Pink
White
Red/Burgundy
Spring
Summer
4-5 petals/rays
1-3 inches
Leaves
Leaves are narrow and often gray-green, waxy with a prominent midvein. The base is slightly narrowed, with the margin entire or denticulate, and the apex acuminate.
Green
Gray/Silver
Blue
Elliptical
Linear
Lanceolate
Entire
Denticulate
1-3 inches
< 1 inch
Stem
Stems loosely growing in clusters or tufts, erect, distally branched.
Green
Gray/Silver
Poisonous to Humans
No reports of ingestion. Skin irritation reported from contact with clove pinks; minor and lasts only a few minutes, and vomiting.
Triterpenoid saponins
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Annual
Herbaceous Perennial
Poisonous
Erect
Mounding
Clumping
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Dry
Less than 12 inches
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Rock Garden
Butterfly Garden
Cottage Garden
Asian Garden
Drought
Deer
Dry Soil
Container
Patio
Small Space
Butterflies
Songbirds
Hummingbirds
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses

Dianthus chinensis Attributes

Dianthus chinensis: Uses (Ethnobotany)

This plant is used in Chinese herbal medicine as a bitter tonic to stimulate the digestive and urinary systems and bowels to treat cystitis, urinary stones, and constipation. It is also used externally for skin inflammations and swellings. The plants are harvested before the flowers bloom and then dried.

Dianthus chinensis: Country Or Region Of Origin

Northern China, Korea, Mongolia, and southeastern Russia

Dianthus chinensis: Wildlife Value

Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds

Dianthus chinensis: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Dianthus chinensis: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Dianthus chinensis: Play Value

Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer

Dianthus chinensis Fruit

Dianthus chinensis: Fruit Description

The cylindrical capsule is surrounded by sepals; black seeds are flattened globes.

Dianthus chinensis: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Dianthus chinensis: Fruit Color

grass
Black

Dianthus chinensis: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Dianthus chinensis: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Dianthus chinensis: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Dianthus chinensis Flowers

Dianthus chinensis: Flower Description

flowers 5-parted, often fragrant, pink-lilac, pink-purple or white.

Dianthus chinensis: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
Red/Burgundy
filter_vintage
White

Dianthus chinensis: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Dianthus chinensis: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Dianthus chinensis: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Dianthus chinensis: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Dianthus chinensis: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Dianthus chinensis: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Dianthus chinensis Leaves

Dianthus chinensis: Leaf Description

Leaves are narrow and often gray-green, waxy with a prominent midvein. The base is slightly narrowed, with the margin entire or denticulate, and the apex acuminate.

Dianthus chinensis: Leaf Color

spa
Blue
spa
Gray/Silver
spa
Green

Dianthus chinensis: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Dianthus chinensis: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Dianthus chinensis: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Dianthus chinensis: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Dianthus chinensis: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Dianthus chinensis: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Dianthus chinensis: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Dianthus chinensis: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Dianthus chinensis Stem

Dianthus chinensis: Stem Description

Stems loosely growing in clusters or tufts, erect, distally branched.

Dianthus chinensis: Stem Color

grass
Gray/Silver
grass
Green

Dianthus chinensis: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Dianthus chinensis Poisonous to Humans

Dianthus chinensis: Poison Symptoms

No reports of ingestion. Skin irritation reported from contact with clove pinks; minor and lasts only a few minutes, and vomiting.

Dianthus chinensis: Poison Toxic Principle

Triterpenoid saponins

Dianthus chinensis: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Dianthus chinensis: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Dianthus chinensis: Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Dianthus chinensis Whole Plant Traits

Dianthus chinensis: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Dianthus chinensis: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Dianthus chinensis: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Dianthus chinensis: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Dianthus chinensis Cultural Conditions

Dianthus chinensis: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Dianthus chinensis: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Dianthus chinensis: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Dianthus chinensis: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Dianthus chinensis: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Dianthus chinensis: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Dianthus chinensis: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Dianthus chinensis Landscape

Dianthus chinensis: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Dianthus chinensis: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Dianthus chinensis: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Dianthus chinensis: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Dianthus chinensis: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees

Dianthus chinensis: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy