Eastern Star Dianthus Pinks Plant

Most Dianthus are pretty floriferous, but Eastern Star outdoes all its cousins for sheer flower power! In South Carolina gardens, the flowers begin in early summer (or late spring in hot years!) and continue right into fall, with scarcely a pause even in the dog days of August! Wonderfully fragrant, brightly colored, and evergreen, this is a gem of a plant we highly recommend to anyone who treasures easy-care perennials!

The blooms are easily 2 inches across (a bit larger than the average Dianthus) and bright red, with a darker central disk and feathery pink markings. They arise ALL OVER the compact little 6- to 8-inch high and wide plants, simply covering the blue foliage all summer long. Pick all you want for indoor bouquets and bouttonieres -- Eastern Star always seems to have more where those came from! This is not a repeat-blooming variety -- rather, it's everblooming, with no rest between waves of flowers.

The plant itself is quite compact, adding a nice formal touch to edging, the front of the border, or your finest containers. Once established in the garden it puts up with just about any well-drained soil, and doesn't mind heat, humidity, and even drought. Deer leave Dianthus alone, so this is a good choice for the perimeter of the garden or the open meadowland setting. Truly a "plant and forget" perennial!

Eastern Star is part of a famous series of long-blooming Dianthus, the Stars, and you will love the vigor and robustness of this plant. The foliage remains evergreen, its blue-tinged needle-like leaves adding interest to the garden from early spring right through fall. It may remind you of another famous Dianthus, Bath's Pink, except that Eastern Star is even MORE floriferous than this old favorite! Zones 5-9. (PP#14,437)