Your favorite carnations (Dianthus) belong to the carnation family, a plant family mostly native to the northern hemisphere. These also include numerous other species used as ornamental and medicinal plants, including the campion campion, also known as campion, or the very rare corn radish.
The tender Kornrade also belongs to the carnation family
What are carnation plants?
Most of the approximately 2,200 different carnation plants - about 70 of which are also cultivated as ornamental plants - are annual to biennial, herbaceous and often mat-forming plants. This family of plants is primarily capsule-bearing and seed-propagated, which is why many of the ornamental species are fairly reliable self-seeding. As a rule, carnation plants prefer open vegetation and are therefore mainly found on sunny meadows etc. In general, the plant family is considered to be extremely sun-loving.
use of carnation plants
Most of the approximately 70 carnation plants cultivated as ornamental plants are cultivated purely as ornaments in gardens and planters, especially the Dianthus species. Others, in turn, contain high levels of saponins and sapogenins and were therefore also used in folk medicine or for soap production. Be careful with the corn radish, because it is one of the few members of the carnation family that is highly poisonous.
Carnation family used as ornamental and medicinal plants
In the table below you will find some of the carnation plants found in our gardens, some of which can also be found in the wild - and are often considered weeds. The Corn Rade in particular has now become extremely rare and is threatened with extinction.
| German name | Latin designation | description | blossom | origin | use | special feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kornrade | agrostemma | annual, herbaceous | purplish violet to pink | Europe | ornamental plant | highly toxic |
| sand herbs | Arenaria | cushion-forming, annual to biennial | mostly white | northern hemisphere | ornamental plant | field weeds |
| horn herbs | cerastium | usually annual, herbaceous | mostly white | northern hemisphere | Ornamental plant in the rock garden | v. a. Felty tomentosum |
| cloves | dianthus | annual or biennial, herbaceous | many colours | northern hemisphere | Ornamental plant, folk medicine | very popular ornamental plant |
| gypsum herbs | Gypsophila | usually annual, herbaceous | mostly white | Mediterranean | Ornamental plant, as a detergent | v. a. gypsophila |
| campion | Silene | annual or biennial, herbaceous | many colours | northern hemisphere | ornamental plant | campions |
| Mieren | Minuartia | annual, herbaceous | mostly white | northern hemisphere | ornamental plant | field weeds |
| fattening herbs | Sagina | annual, herbaceous | mostly white | Europe | ornamental plant | form lawns |
| soap herbs | Saponaria | persistent, herbaceous | violet, red, pink, yellow | Europe | ornamental plant, detergent | v. a. Common Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) |
| twisted herbs | sclerantus | annual to biennial, herbaceous | greenish white | northern hemisphere | ornamental plant | forms cushions |
tips
The popular carnations and carnations are among the largest genera within the carnation family: Silene includes between 200 and 300 different species, Dianthus even up to 600. This offers a lot of colorful variety in the home garden.