Deptford pink
Dianthus armeria L.

Overview

Appearance

Dianthus armeria is a herbaceous annual or biennial plant growing to 1-2.5 ft. (0.3-0.8 m) tall.

Foliage

They have patches of fine white hairs beneath each opposite pair of leaves, otherwise they are mostly glabrous. The opposite leaves are up to 3 in. (1.6 cm) long and 0.13 in. (0.32 cm) across. They are linear, sessile, and usually slightly pubescent. The base of each pair of leaves wraps around the stem in a sheath, where the stem is somewhat broader and knobby.

Flowers

Each flower is about 0.33 in. (0.85 cm) across, consisting of 5 spreading petals, a tubular green calyx with 5 teeth, 10 stamens with pink anthers, and 2 styles. The petals are pink with small white dots. Each petal is wedge-shaped at its base, and crenate or dentate toward its outer edge.

Fruit

Each seed is orbicular or rein form and flattened with small bumps across its surface. The root system consists of a slender taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.

Ecological Threat

This plant will over take roadsides, ditches and fields.

Selected Images

Maps

Invasive Listing Sources

• Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
• Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
• National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
• Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
• WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
• West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999

References