perennial
Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'
Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch' is an evergreen perennial for gardens in zones 3–9. It grows 6–9 in tall and 0.75–1 ft wide, so plant it 0.75 ft apart. Give it full sun to part sun and average water. It flowers pink in May to June. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the edge role: a low plant that finishes the front edge. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch'
- Plant type
- Perennial, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 3 to 9
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil.
- Mature size
- 6–9 in tall × 0.75–1 ft wide
- Spacing
- 0.75 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- May–Jun · pink
- Roles in a bed
- Edge
- Styles
- cottage, classic
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Toxic to dogs and cats. ASPCA lists carnation and pinks (Dianthus) as toxic to dogs and cats: mild stomach upset and skin irritation.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- quart pot, typically $7–$12 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat; keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Established plants need water only in dry spells.
- Pruning
- Shear off spent flowers to tidy the blue-grey mat.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed and invasive plant lists; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster'Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'ornamental grass · zones 4–9
- Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln'Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'ornamental grass · zones 5–9
- Panicle hydrangea 'Limelight'Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'shrub · zones 3–8
- Shrub rose 'Knock Out'Rosa 'Radrazz'shrub · zones 5–10
- Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'perennial · zones 4–9
- Spike speedwell 'Royal Candles'Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles'perennial · zones 3–8
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
- Lamb's ear 'Helen von Stein'Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein'zones 4–8 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Evergreen candytuft 'Purity'Iberis sempervirens 'Purity'zones 3–8 · flagged toxic to pets
- Creeping phloxPhlox subulatazones 3–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Angelina stonecrop 'Angelina'Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'zones 4–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants