Dianthus caryophyllus
carnation
The white carnation is the flower for showing up. It does not perform grief or insist on cheer; it sits in the room quietly and lasts a fortnight doing it.
Native toBred from wild pinks of Greece and the Balkans
In seasonYear-round
Vase life7 – 14 days
Pairs withGypsophila · Leatherleaf fern · White chrysanthemum
Elsewhere
Worn on Mother's Day across much of North America and East Asia — white for a mother who has died, coloured for one still living. In South Korea and Japan carnations carry that association more strongly than roses do.