Maiden pink

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light afternoon shade in hotter climates, but flowers less in shade.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged dry spells. Established plants tolerate some drought but dislike persistently wet soil.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gritty or gravelly soil, preferably neutral to slightly alkaline. Avoid heavy, waterlogged soil and very rich planting mixes.

Height

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m), including flower stems

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Late spring to midsummer, sometimes with scattered later flowers; usually deep pink, with white, pale pink and red forms available.

Foliage

Small, narrow, green to dark green leaves form a low mat. Usually evergreen in mild climates, but foliage may thin or die back in severe winters.

Growth

Moderate; forms spreading mats and may self-seed.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.7 ft (0.22 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Native to

the UK

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant with the crown level with the soil surface, leaving room for the mat to spread.
• Water at soil level while establishing; allow the surface to dry between waterings.
• Avoid routine heavy feeding; use a light spring feed only if growth is weak on very poor soil.
• Use a thin gravel mulch rather than piling compost or bark against the crown.
• Divide thinning or bare-centred clumps in spring, keeping healthy rooted outer sections.

Pruning. After the main flowering flush, lightly shear off spent stems without cutting into bare, leafless growth. Remove dead foliage in early spring and deadhead before seed ripens if you want to limit seedlings.

Early spring

Remove dead foliage and check that winter moisture has not left the crown soft or rotten.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps once the soil is workable, choosing a sunny, freely drained position.

Late spring

Watch new growth for aphids and water newly planted clumps during dry weather.

Summer

Lightly shear after the main flowering flush and remove unwanted seedlings.

Early autumn

Plant in mild climates while the soil is still warm; avoid planting into wet ground.

Winter

Keep fallen leaves and wet organic mulch off the mat to reduce crown rot.

• Edge sunny paths and borders with a low ribbon of flowers and fine-textured foliage.
• Tuck into rock gardens or gravel beds with creeping thyme and low sedums.
• Plant between widely spaced paving stones where it will receive little foot traffic.
• Group at the front of cottage borders beneath taller, open-growing perennials.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Dry gravel garden, Alpine rock garden, Pollinator garden, Low-maintenance and Small-space.

Plant it with: Creeping thyme, Moss phlox, Rock rose, Low-growing stonecrop, Candytuft and Dwarf lavender.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for small bees and butterflies. Its low mats offer some shelter for small invertebrates.

• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage, keep mulch away from crowns and replace badly affected plants.
• Aphids on soft shoots: dislodge with a firm spray of water; use insecticidal soap if persistent, following the label.
• Slugs and snails damaging young growth: remove hiding places, hand-pick or use an approved iron-phosphate bait.
• Thin, floppy growth or few flowers: move to more sun, reduce feeding and divide ageing mats.

Dianthus plants are considered mildly toxic to cats and dogs; chewing leaves, stems or flowers may cause vomiting, diarrhoea or skin irritation. People may develop skin irritation, and this ornamental should not be eaten. Maiden pink is not known to be toxic to horses, though species-specific information is limited.

Where it spreads. Naturalized in parts of North America, including the northeastern United States and southern Canada. It can self-seed beyond gardens into open grassland and disturbed ground; remove spent flowers near natural areas and check local invasive-plant guidance before planting.

• Cheddar pink (Dianthus gratianopolitanus)

  Usually has conspicuously blue-grey foliage, denser cushions and larger, often strongly fragrant flowers; maiden pink generally has greener foliage and smaller flowers.

• Deptford pink (Dianthus armeria)

  Has taller, upright, hairy stems and small flowers grouped in tight clusters, rather than a spreading leafy mat with more loosely arranged flowers.

• Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)

  Has broader leaves and dense, flat-topped flower clusters on stout upright stems; maiden pink is lower and finer-leaved.

Dianthus comes from Greek words meaning 'flower of Zeus', while deltoides means 'triangular' or 'delta-shaped'.

Propagation. Divide rooted mats in spring or take non-flowering shoot cuttings in late spring or summer. Sow seed in spring, barely covering it; named cultivars may not come true from seed.

Accepted botanical name

Dianthus deltoides

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Altay, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, Central European Rus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark and East European Russia.

Measured

Average height 20 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.