Carnations: the hard-working flower with a past

An Irish connection: the green carnation

On the opening night of Lady Windermere’s Fan in London in 1892, Oscar Wilde asked a group of friends to wear green carnations in their buttonholes. Nobody grows a naturally green carnation, so the flowers had been dyed. The gesture became a quiet badge among Wilde’s circle, and the green carnation still turns up today, worn in his honour or as a symbol of LGBT pride.

The plant itself, Dianthus caryophyllus, comes from the Mediterranean. Its genus name is usually read as “flower of the gods” in Greek. Most cut carnations sold in Europe today are grown in Colombia and Kenya and flown in.

What the colours say

Carnation meanings come mostly from Victorian flower language, and nobody will read your gift that strictly. Still, a few associations are worth knowing:

• Red: love and admiration; a classic buttonhole colour.
• Pink: thanks and a mother’s love. Pink carnations are an easy pick for Mothering Sunday in March.
• White: innocence and remembrance; often used in funeral wreaths and letters.
• Yellow: in old flower books, disappointment. Today most people simply see a cheerful colour.
• Striped: once meant a refusal, now just a pretty novelty.

Buttonholes, debs and weddings

For decades a single carnation with a sprig of fern was the standard buttonhole at Irish weddings, and many lads wore one to the debs. They are still used because they hold up for a whole day out of water, survive hugs and dancing, and come in a colour to match almost any dress. A florist can also wire spray carnations into a small corsage.

Getting two weeks or more from a vase

• Cut between the nodes. Carnation stems have knobbly joints. Cut just above or below one, not through it, so the stem can drink.
• Keep them away from fruit. Ethylene from ripening fruit makes carnations close up and fade early.
• Clean water. Strip any leaves below the waterline and refresh the water every two or three days.
• A cool room. An unheated hall or a bright room away from the radiator keeps them going longest.

With that care, good carnations commonly last two to three weeks, longer than most bouquet flowers. More general advice is in our care tips, and our flower language guide covers other blooms.