Dianthus plumarius Flore Pleno Albus

Dianthus 'Pleno Albus' offers a profuse flowering with an intense and sweet fragrance. In late spring, it produces numerous highly fringed, pure white double corollas above a thick cushion of semi-evergreen, rough-textured, bluish-green leaves. Already popular with our grandmothers, this timeless perennial combines strength, frugality, and delicacy. Ideal for rockeries and walls, in full sun.

'Pleno Albus' belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. It is a cultivar resulting from cross-breeding between Dianthus plumarius and D. caryophyllus. D. plumarius is a European perennial that is the main ancestor of various groups of pinks, whether old-fashioned or modern. D. caryophyllus is Mediterranean, and it has passed down to its descendants its wonderful clove fragrance. Its growth rate is quite fast. Its adult size will not exceed 25 to 30cm (10 to 12in) in height with a spread of 30cm (12in). This pink forms a rather loose clump, from which many bouquets of pure white flowers emerge from May to June, composed of numerous fringed petals. The flowers are highly fragrant and appear at the top of short stems, which are usually uniflorous. Its linear, glabrous, evergreen, and leathery leaves are a beautiful greyish-blue.

Dianthus 'Pleno Albus' is a border plant, suitable for embankments and dry rockeries. It can be accompanied by other flowering cushions such as rock roses, catchflies, dwarf wormwood (Artemisia lanata), wall bellflower, Caucasus rock-cress, moss phlox, cooper's ice plant (Delosperma cooperi), fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus), and bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum). This plant looks lovely between the stones of a wall or pavement, or in a planter. It adapts very well to pot cultivation, in light soil.

Pinks are the result of cross-breeding between Dianthus plumarius and D. caryophyllus. They form large, loose, spreading cushions with long, narrow foliage, which is green-grey with a bluish tint. The flowering is often fragrant.