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Caryophyllaceae
Ice Pink
Dianthus glacialis
Alpine purity and tenacious beauty.
- Family
- Caryophyllaceae
- Genus
- Dianthus
- Native to
- European Alps, Carpathian Mountains
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- alpine perennial
- Height
- 2–8 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- gritty, well-drained, limestone scree
- Water
- moderate; good drainage essential
- Hardiness
- 3–6
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The species name 'glacialis' means 'of ice' — it grows at elevations up to 3,000 m near glaciers.
- Despite being barely 5 cm tall, its flowers are proportionally huge, up to 2 cm across.
- It forms tight cushions that trap warmth and resist being torn apart by Alpine winds.
- The plant requires excellent drainage and cool roots; it often fails in lowland gardens with hot summers.
- It was a prized plant of Victorian alpine collectors who risked life and limb gathering it from cliff faces.
Color meanings
Pink
high-altitude devotion
Magenta
mountain passion