It is a common misconception and an unfair reputation that the Carnation flower is a boring, plain or old fashion flower. With these misconceptions, the carnation has been thought of as a “cheap” flower because of its low cost.
The carnation is part of the Dianthus family but does not resemble many of its family members. The dianthus family has a vast array of flowers and the carnation is only one of the many different options. The carnation is becoming more and more popular in modern culture because of its shape and texture that can be used to make incredible floral arrangements.
Carnations are used so frequently because of how versatile they are, their long life after being cut, color variety and size options. They come in almost every color imaginable and if you cannot find the color you want, you can easily stem dye the flower with some food coloring.
Carnations grow in traditional varieties as well as mini or spray carnations. These flowers have been used for over 2,000 years, making them the oldest cultivated flowers in the world. Their botanical name actually translates to “Flower of the Gods”. Carnations are the National Flower of Spain and the State flower of Ohio.
Pink blooms are used to express motherly love and compassion. Light red shows admiration while dark red displays deep love. White carnations show devotion while yellow blooms are used to acknowledge disappointment.
Carnations are most often incorporated in prom boutonnieres, funeral bouquets and Mother’s Day arrangements. Also very popular at Indian weddings, carnations have been used for creating leis and garlands to decorate.
This isn’t the first time these flowers have been used as decorations; the ancient Greek and Roman people even weaved them into their garlands thousands of years ago.