Dianthus plumarius Munot

Dianthus 'Munot' is a sweet william that displays a long and pleasantly scented summer flowering from June to September. Its double flowers have carmine red laciniate petals. It is distinguished by its pronounced fragrance. Particularly suitable for pot cultivation due to its small size and floribundity, it is also an excellent perennial for sunny borders, where it forms persistent cushions of beautiful grey-blue even in winter.

Dianthus 'Munot' belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars resulting from the cross-breeding of D. plumarius and D. caryophyllus. D. plumarius is a European perennial that is the main ancestor of various groups of sweet williams, both old-fashioned and modern. D. caryophyllus is Mediterranean and has passed on to its descendants its wonderful clove fragrance and its good tolerance to limestone and dry soils. The growth of this sweet william is quite rapid. Its adult size will not exceed 25cm (10in) in height with a spread of 30cm (12in) or more. This sweet william forms a dense tuft. From June to September, 4 to 5cm (2in) wide double round flowers with laciniate petals emerge, carried at the end of short, often branched stems. Its linear, glabrous, pointed, evergreen, and leathery leaves are a superb grey-blue.

Dianthus 'Munot' is a very attractive plant for patios or balconies. It is hardy to at least -15°C (5°F). It is undemanding in terms of water, but is sun-loving. It will thrive in well-drained borders, embankments, and rockeries. Its beautiful fragrant flowers bring undeniable charm to even the humblest decor. For example, it can be placed in front of other white, pink, or bicoloured carnations ('Devon Dove', 'Cranmere Pool', 'Devon Cream', 'Letitia Wyatt', 'Whatfield Gem'), or to accompany the blue bells of campanulas, the lavender-blue mosses of catmints, small lavenders, or flowering cushions such as helianthemums, silenes, wall bellflowers, Caucasian rockcress, Phlox subulata, Erigeron karvinskianus, and Geranium sanguineum. To evoke gardens of the past, a small border of these delightful sweet williams can be planted at the base of peony clumps and old roses. This plant forms a lovely display between the stones of a wall or paving, in a trough or in a container.