Cheddar Pinks

Cheddar Pinks (Dianthus gratianopolitanus)

Garden Pinks, Clove Pink

Full sun, well-drained to dry, prefers neutral to slightly alkaline pH (6.5–7.5); tolerates rocky and sandy soils; does not tolerate wet clay or poor drainage.

15–20 cm tall, spreading 30–45 cm wide; blooms May–June with fragrant pink to rose flowers; semi-evergreen mat of blue-green foliage; spreads slowly by stolons.

Shear lightly after bloom to maintain compact form; propagate by stem cuttings in summer or division in early spring.

Native region: Not native to Tennessee; native to limestone cliff habitats of western Europe, including Cheddar Gorge in England.

Well-suited to rock gardens, wall crevices, and raised beds in Middle Tennessee where drainage is reliable. In the heavy clay soils common across Maury and Marshall counties, plant on berms or in amended raised beds — standing moisture through winter is the primary cause of loss, not cold. The evergreen foliage provides year-round textural interest along paths and border edges. Clove-scented flowers attract butterflies. Heat and humidity tolerance is moderate; plants may look ragged by August in particularly hot, wet summers, but recover with cooler September temperatures. Cultivars 'Bath's Pink' and 'Firewitch' are proven performers in Zone 6b/7a.