Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Dianthus barbatus x chinensis

Group/Class:  Jolt Series

Brand:  Ball

Description:

Luminous frilly flowers are cherry red, maturing to pink with darker red centers, above a compact mound of fine dark green foliage; pair up with summer blooming perennials and annuals to time a continued flower display

Ornamental Features

Jolt™ Cherry Hybrid Pinks is smothered in stunning cherry red frilly flowers with pink overtones and red centers at the ends of the stems from mid spring to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive narrow leaves remain dark green in color throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Jolt™ Cherry Hybrid Pinks is an herbaceous annual 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.

Jolt™ Cherry Hybrid Pinks is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Jolt™ Cherry Hybrid Pinks will grow to be about 16 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 14 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. 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 particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. 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.

Jolt™ Cherry Hybrid Pinks is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.