Dianthus Fruit Punch® 'Maraschino'
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Dianthus Fruit Punch® 'Maraschino': Fragrant Cherry Red for Salty Edges
Every good drink needs a cherry on top, and 'Maraschino' takes the job very seriously. Fringed cherry-red flowers with a dark burgundy eye sit over spiky, silvery foliage. SWEET ON TOP, A LITTLE SPIKY UNDERNEATH, just like your favourite aunt.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Dianthus hybrid
- Common Name: Pinks
- Series: Fruit Punch®, a Proven Winners® perennial
- Height: 23–28 cm (9–11 in)
- Spread: 30–36 cm (12–14 in)
- Flowers: Semi-double to fully double, cherry red with a dark burgundy eye, 3–4 cm (1.25–1.5 in) across, with fringed petals and a sweet fragrance
- Bloom Time: Early summer, with rebloom after shearing (June to August)
- Foliage: Spiky, silvery-blue, evergreen leaves in a low mound
- Features: Fragrant, heat and salt tolerant, good for cutting
- Plant Patent: USPP 27,882 / Can 6,730
Where to Plant: Plant it at the front of a sunny border, along a walkway, in a rock garden or in a container where you'll catch the scent. It tolerates salt, so it's a good pick for beds along the driveway or sidewalk.
Companion Plants: Iberis 'Snowsation' opens the show in May and June with crisp white flowers at the same low height. Behind the red pinks, Lobelia siphilitica adds blue spikes at 60 to 90 cm from July to September. Rudbeckia 'American Gold Rush' brings yellow daisies from July to October, keeping the bed bright long after the first flush. Together they make a cheerful red, white, blue and gold planting for sun or part sun.
Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun, in average, well-drained soil that's neutral to slightly alkaline. Pinks hate wet winter soil, so add grit to heavy clay or plant on a slight rise. Water regularly through the first season, then mostly during long dry spells. After the first flush of flowers, shear the plant back to tidy it and encourage a second round. Leave the foliage through winter and clean it up in spring. Divide every few years if the centre opens up.
History: 'Maraschino' was bred by Hans Hansen in Zeeland, Michigan, home of Walters Gardens, from a 2011 cross between Dianthus 'Devon Xera' and 'Pomegranate Kiss'. It joined the Fruit Punch® series of compact, fragrant pinks.
Final Thoughts: Heat, drought and hungry deer all get the cold shoulder. PUT IT UP FRONT WHERE IT CAN SHOW OFF ITS FRINGE.
