How to Grow and Care for Pinks

Saxifrage pink (Petrorhagia saxifraga) is a small plant native to Europe and introduced to parts of America and Canada. This pink plant is commonly used in rock gardens and along borders when making a lawn.

Native to Southern Europe and Turkey, hairy pink (Petrorhagia dubia) is introduced in other parts of the world. In non-native areas, such as Western Australia, the plant has become an environmental weed. This annual can be found along roadsides in the spring and early summer.

Childing pink is a delicate flowering plant that is considered rare and endangered in parts of Europe. Interestingly, the flowers are rarely visited by pollinators, as the plant is able to self-pollinate. The flowers do, however, still open in the mornings and occasionally attract visitors. The fruits of childing pink are extremely dry and crack right open once they get ripe.

It is an annual that grows to 50 cm tall. Leaves are linear, opposite and stem clasping. Small pink flowers are produced in small ovoid heads, with usually only one flower visible at a time. These are followed by ovoid seed capsules.