Partial shade; best with up to 6 hours of morning sun. A short-lived biennial or perennial with blue-green leaves, blooming in red, white, pink and purple, mostly in spring but sometimes year-round, depending on the cultivar. Modern varieties are seedless, and hence have a long bloom period.
Dianthus are often treated as winter or spring bedding plants in south-central Texas, but once established they can be long-lived – in fact they prefer it on the dry side. Various species exist, most native to Eurasia.