Dianthus, by any other name would smell as sweet...

Although, strictly speaking, that's not true... because the genus Dianthus includes Pinks, Carnations and Sweet William, and carnations are not scented, whereas Sweet William are, hence the name.

 

I'm often asked about “Pinks”, and there seems to be some confusion regarding the name, but it's quite straightforward: all plants in the genus Dianthus are commonly known as Pinks, and yes, that includes carnations.

And they are called “Pinks” not because of the colour, but because.........

 

 

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