Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Alpine Rockery

Dianthus 'Leuchtkugel' (p)

pink 'Leuchtkugel'

An alpine, cushion-forming herbaceous perennial, up to 10cm high, with silvery grey-green leaves, up to 2cm long, and single, rose-pink flowers, 1.5cm across, in late spring and early summer

Synonyms

Dianthus microlepis 'Leuchtkugel'

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
1 suppliers

Ultimate height

Up to 10cm

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0–0.1 metre

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

West–facing or South–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Caryophyllaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: Humans/Pets: Skin allergen, wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Dianthus can be annuals, evergreen perennials or subshrubs with narrow, often greyish leaves and showy flowers that are frequently fragrant
Name status: Accepted
Horticultural Group: Pinks are hardy, evergreen perennials which make compact mounds or mats of usually greyish leaves, with up to six, usually fragrant, single or double, medium-sized flowers per stem in early and mid-summer

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun in moist but very well-drained, gritty, neutral or acidic soil (unlike many other species & cultivars, which prefer alkaline soil), in a rock garden, a sink or trough, or an alpine house; protect outdoor plants from damp in winter, for example with a propped pane of glass

Propagation

Propagate by cuttings from non-flowering shoots in summer, by layering, or by division

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
City and courtyard gardens
Gravel garden
Rock garden

Pruning

No pruning required, but deadheading may prolong flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, a rust, a virus and fusarium wilt

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.