Dianthus caryophyllus, carnation or clove pink, is a species of Dianthus.It is probably native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years.It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 80 cm tall.lthough originally applied to the species Dianthus caryophyllus, the name Carnation is also often applied to some of the other species of Dianthus, and more particularly to garden hybrids between D. caryophyllus and other species in the genus.