Carnation Leaf

Carnations have a long history of use by humans, having been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. The flowering plants are native to the Mediterranean and were remarked upon by the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus (371-286 BC), whose works on botany were foundational to the field. The earliest carnations were single-flowered and a fleshy pink, and from this variety all others were derived.