How to Plant, Grow, and Care For ‘Firewitch’ Dianthus

Dianthus, or pinks, are lovely, fragrant flowers that create color and add charm to any garden space. They're easy to care for and have edible flowers as well! Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss to talk about growing these sweet flowering plants in your garden.

Plants in the Dianthus genus include those commonly called carnations, Sweet Williams, and pink carnations. They have a long history of human cultivation. Going back more than 2,000 years, we see them in Ancient Greece and Rome. Their name, dianthus, comes from the Greek words ‘Dios’ and ‘anthos,’ which translates to ‘flower of God.’

Such an illustrious moniker would only be awarded to a special plant. The delightfully long-lasting, sturdy, and fragrant flowers were often made into flower crowns, used as symbols of the suffering of Jesus and Mary. They were also worn by athletes in ceremonies of award and recognition.

As they spread around the world, these enduring flowers took on more and different types of symbolism. They were popular in the Victorian Era in different colors to express various emotions. White was particularly popular for Mother’s Day. They’re even thought to be William Shakespeare’s favorite flower.

These are wonderful flowers and surprisingly easy to grow in your own backyard! The variety ‘Firewitch’ dianthus has particularly vibrant purple blooms. Here’s how to grow them!
What Is ‘Firewitch’ Dianthus?
‘Firewitch’ is a perfectly petite dianthus cultivar that, among other uses, makes a stunning ground cover. It holds the title of 2006 Plant of the Year from the Perennial Plant Association, and it’s not difficult to see why. The color combination in this plant’s flowers and foliage is striking and unique. It certainly adds to their appeal and stokes their popularity. Let’s take a look!
Characteristics
‘Firewitch‘ is a foreboding name, and the plant is certainly bewitching. This lovely cultivar is compact and has the bluest foliage of any dianthus. The evergreen foliage is a pale blue-green with fine, lanceolate leaves and slender, jointed stems.

The mound of foliage grows to only four to six inches tall, but spreads to nearly two feet wide. The brilliant magenta flowers, which are nearly neon, stand another few inches above the foliage for a long period in spring and summer. They also often rebloom in the fall for an added treat.
‘Firewitch’ is evergreen and makes a wonderful border for garden beds, and a perfect addition to the cottage garden. The bright pink flowers also have a spicy and sweet fragrance with a hint of warm cloves.

Native Area
Dianthus are generally native primarily to Europe and Asia, with a few species showing up in Africa. This particular cultivar comes from Cheddar Gorge, England. The species D. gratianopolitanus is native to this region. You’ll find them growing in open, sunny areas with good air circulation and well-drained soil.
Planting
As a perennial dianthus, ‘Firewitch’ is best planted in the fall, but early spring is fine, too. The cooler temperatures of these times help the plant to establish stronger, deeper roots, which leads to a nice, compact shape. They handle frost well, so there is no need to worry about frost dates in terms of foliage. However, you do want the roots to develop before the ground freezes.
How to Grow
Dianthus is easy to grow, and ‘Firewitch’ follows the crowd in this way. You’ll find it delightful how quickly they establish, and how long they provide beautiful color and interest in your garden. They have few enemies in terms of pests and diseases, and they aren’t attractive to deer.
Maintenance
For most of the season, the main focus for your ‘Firewitch’ should be deadheading. The more spent flowers you remove, the more the plant will bloom, as it isn’t wasting energy holding onto the old. Just use a small pair of harvesting snips to take off the spent blooms just above the next set of leaves.

In the late fall, once blooming has stopped, cut the entire plant back to about two inches above the ground. With single plants, use a knife or shears to do this job cleanly. If you’re growing this as a ground cover in a large space, you can mow it, leaving a couple of inches.

Propagation
We talked about propagation from seeds, which is common and effective. Other methods of propagation include cuttings and division, though division is typically the method of choice. It’s an easy plant to divide, and it tolerates transplanting well.