Is Carnation deer resistant?
Dianthus sp.
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Carnation
Grey-blue grassy foliage and a clove scent in the better forms. Needs alkaline sharp-drained soil, and rots at the crown in wet clay.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6.5 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Sharp, gritty. Will rot in wet soil
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 10 to 14 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Similar to Carnation
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- African LilyAgapanthus sp.Zones 8–11, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AsparagusAsparagus officinalisZones 2–9Seldom damaged
- AsterAster sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AstilbeAstilbe x arendsiiZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Baby's BreathGypsophila sp.Zones 3–9, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- BastardsageEriogonum wrightiiZones 5–10Seldom damaged
Where Carnation grows
Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Carnation belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Carnation
- Is Carnation deer resistant?
- Carnation (Dianthus sp.) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Carnation grow in?
- Carnation is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Carnation grow in shade?
- No. Carnation wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- Is Carnation toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Carnation as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.