Staff Pick: Indian Carnation
If you aren’t keen on the constant care involved in making your native soil right for Gardenias, here’s an alternative, and a good one. The “Indian Carnation” is a sub-tropical evergreen shrub and it does great in our heavy clay soil! It grows best in morning sun and afternoon shade, gets around 5 feet tall and wide. It has white flowers that look a lot like an “August Beauty” 
Gardenia, smells sweet, but not overbearing, but more importantly the “Indian Carnation” will constantly bloom from Spring through Fall, unlike a Gardenia! In my humble opinion, that’s a wonderful alternative!
Matt
21 Comments on “Staff Pick: Indian Carnation”
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Thanks for sharing about Mary. All your staff seems like an extended family of each other. The warmth and caring attitude makes it fun to shop in your store.
Where in Houston can I find carnation of India.
I have had an India Carnation before, but the new plant that I bought is healthy, but is loosing leaves. What is the problem?
My Indian carnation has 10 flower buds and tall and healthy. It has had those unchanging buds for about 5 weeks. They look healthy but they don’t bloom. I live in south Texas. It’s very hot (105-112°F hottest days of 2020) and humid. It is potted in loose soil. Never too wet. Only watered as needed. On the front porch under some shade. What can I do so the flowers bloom?
Hi Monica – that’s a good question and we’re not exactly sure why the blooms are not opening. You might try checking for insects. Remove one of the buds, put it on white paper and pull it apart. If you see insects crawling around, those are Thrips. If Thrips are present, you could try using a systemic insecticide like Bayer 3 in 1 to get them under control.
See above.
Sorry Irene, we don’t monitor old posts, so yours slipped by. Many possible causes. Too much water, too little water, too much sun (it can take full sun, but if it moves from shady to sun abruptly that can cause sunburn), insects (like whitefly) all are possibilities. Also excess phosphorus fertilizer, or excess salt in irrigation water. Also things we don’t ever see and can’t imagine. So celebrate your successes, try to learn from your failures, and keep your sense of wonder, because life is full of things good and bad we will never understand.
I guess I should have also mentioned low light, if they got more sun before and less sun now, they will need to adjust the number of leaves they can support.
Do you sell/ship Indian Carnation plants?
We do sell, we do not ship.
What is the lowest temperature these plants can tolerate? I live in central tx. I’ve always brought it into my greenhouse over winter but it’s gotten so big I’d like to leave it out.
I would not subject your Indian Carnation to temperatures below 40. I expect it would suffer severe damage at 30. If it’s in a pot but you can no longer move it, then water the soil thoroughly, tip it over onto the ground, and cover it with a tarp with all the edges sealed, then the ground he may prevent it from being killed, But it will still likely suffer damage to foliage. Uncover it and stand upright when temperatures rise to 45.
Hi all. Where can I buy some indian carnation near Los Angeles? Ty advcomsyst@yahoo.com
Do you have Indian Carnation and do you ship to Texas?
We just received some, but we do not ship.
I bought mine at a nursery on Salem Rd in Victoria, Texas
May I trim Carnation of India in early spring?
Hi Alice – yes, if you’re here in South TX, you can go ahead and trim now! You just want to wait until the threat of frost has passed.
Hello-We’ve had good success with our first Indian Carnation. We would like to add a second. How far apart should they be planted from each other?
Hi Gerry – that’s great! If you want them to grow together, plant 3′ on center (3′ from the center of one plant to the center of the next plant). If you want some space between them, increase that to 4-6′.