Deptford Pink

Scientific Name: Dianthus armeria
Family Name: Caryophyllaceae




Flower: Pink, five petaled flower, ½ in. (1.5 cm.) long, with toothed petals, and white dots in the inner part of the flower. The flowers often grow in clusters and are usually flat.


Leaf: Long, thin leaves that grow upwards, 1 – 4 in. (2.5 – 10 cm.) in length.

Plant: Deptford Pink grows from May to September, and it is 6 – 24 in. (15 – 60 cm.) tall.

Identifying Characteristics: The white spots on the inner portion of the flower identify Deptford Pink definitively.

Location: Deptford Pink grows in the wetland area behind the Goldfarb Library at Brandeis University. We also saw it at Cold Spring Park in Newton, Massachusetts.

History and Comments: Deptford Pink was introduced from Europe as an ornamental garden plant, but it has become a hardy garden weed. It is named for Deptford, England, where it once proliferated. The United States Department of Agriculture includes Deptford Pink on a list of invasive species for some areas, but not for the Northeast. For more information from the USDA, click http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_profile.cgi?symbol=DIAR.

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    Unless otherwise specified, all text, photographs, and drawings are Copyright (c) by Shu-Yee Chen and Deborah Hamer 2003. No part of this page may be reproduced without prior written consent of the authors.