Plant Library

Other Names:  German Pinks

Description:

Clusters of pretty rose-pink blooms with fringed petal edges, rise up on dark stems in summer over grass-like foliage; tidy, compact form is great for rock gardens or containers

Ornamental Features

Rupert's Pink Clusterhead Pinks has masses of beautiful clusters of rose frilly flowers with pink overtones and black calyces at the ends of the stems from early to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its attractive grassy leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the year. The black stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Landscape Attributes

Rupert's Pink Clusterhead Pinks is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Rupert's Pink Clusterhead Pinks is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Rupert's Pink Clusterhead Pinks will grow to be only 4 inches tall at maturity extending to 8 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 10 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Rupert's Pink Clusterhead Pinks is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.