Carnations are herbaceous, flowering plants belonging to the genus Dianthus. Most species are herbaceous, some are annuals or biennials. Carnations are native to the Mediterranean Basin and have been cultivated for about 2000 years. The name of the genus comes from ancient Greek, from the words 'dios'=divine and 'anthos'=flower. They are found in a variety of colors such as red, caramel, orange, purple, yellow, pink, white, cream, etc. They have thin leaves arranged on either side of the stem. Depending on the species, it flowers in spring, summer, or autumn. The flowers appear in bunches at the top of the stems. They have 5 petals, with serrated edges in most species.