The Fascinating Background and Roots Of The Carnation

Carnations are some of the most beautiful flowers that have found entrance into the mainstream as being the flowers of choice during weddings. Often used as a decorative flower in bouquets and arrangements, it is also seen on Mother’s Day. Because of their colorful appearances, they are quite versatile when it comes to choosing a color theme or simply supporting an already existing theme.

Carnations actually grow wild in the countries associated with the Near East, such as Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and surrounding areas. This hints toward the plant’s favored climate being Mediterranean in nature. Such temperate climate is characterized by hot and also dry summers whereas the winters are quite often mild and wet, but may also have occasional cold snaps. Generally speaking, the plants will withstand short periods of extreme heat or cold, but are unable to survive repeat occurrences of such meteorological occasions.

The plant that is seen growing wild is noted for its pink color, yet since it has been cultivated by plant lovers since the birth of Christ it is not surprising that a number of cultivars exist at this point, some of them resulting in yellow, green, red, and also white blooms.

The flower falls under the genus “dianthus” which encompasses a large variety of flowering plants. It is said that the name derives from the word “dios” meaning “God” and “anthos” meaning “flower,” putting the naming rights of this plant squarely into the Greek section of the Mediterranean. Indeed, it was a Greek horticulturist by the name of Theophrastus who lived before the birth of Christ. When he was not working with Aristotle’s Peripatetic school, he studied plants in his spare time and actually published widely on the subject. Thus it is not surprising that he named several species of them.

The English term carnation is a bit harder to trace; some say it goes back to the idea of the carnation being flowers used during traditional Greek coronations. Others claim that the name is a derivative from the Latin word for flesh or the term for incarnation, once more pointing to the Christian God as being honored in the naming.

No matter which naming preference you adopt, the fact is that carnations are a staple of florists’ coolers. They are perceived by lovers to be a safe alternative to roses, since they are said to express a deep devotion and admiration but stop short of implying undying love. The white cultivars are used extensively to symbolize good luck, and thus it is not surprising that so many of them making into wedding bouquets and decorations. Green carnations find their ways into Saint Patrick Day celebrations, yet it is the pink cultivar that has found its way into Christian lore.

Fairy tales including Mary, the mother of Jesus, claim that she wept bitter tears as her son was walking to his death on Golgotha, and when these tears fell to the ground the pink carnations sprang up. From this beloved story is was only a short step to Mrs. Ann Jarvis’ Mother’s Day celebration, when she chose to use the pink carnation as her symbol for the fight to dedicate on day in honor of mothers.

Carnations have also found other places of honor, such as in Ohio where it was made the official state flower. The country of Spain has made the carnation the national flower, and red carnations became the symbol of Portugal’s Carnation Revolution in 1the 1970s.

As you can see, the fascinating background and roots of the carnation truly make this plant a flower for all seasons and all occasions!