Flower profile

Deptford pink

Dianthus armeria

Introduced in the lower 48

Deptford pink is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 9 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–August.

47states

9of our state lists

25,591U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Connecticut, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island

Quick look

Dianthus armeria, the Deptford pink or grass pink, is a species of Dianthus ("pink") native to most of Europe, from Portugal north to southern Scotland and southern Finland, and east to Ukraine and the Caucasus. It is naturalised in North America.
From Wikipedia's article Dianthus armeria, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 47 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. ^iNaturalist
In Pennsylvania, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,616 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #89 among the 109 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,171 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #95 among the 111 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,592 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #91 among the 110 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist

Deptford pink gift ideas

Handmade deptford pink gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,951 records)

Bloom time in each of our 9 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New York	Introduced	June–September	2,616
Pennsylvania	Introduced	June–September	2,171
Massachusetts	Introduced	June–September	1,592
Maryland	Introduced	May–August	1,274
New Jersey	Introduced	June–August	966
Missouri	Introduced	May–August	887
Connecticut	Introduced	June–September	627
Kansas	Introduced	May–July	458
Rhode Island	Introduced	few records	239

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Pennsylvania: Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Pennsylvania. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Missouri. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
Kansas: No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Kansas.
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: leaves. Symptoms they list: “No reports of ingestion. Mild skin irritation reported from contact with leaves. Vomiting” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Eastern Star” (Dianthus spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Vomiting… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records deptford pink in 47 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Greene, Jefferson, Kings, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Nassau, New York, Oneida, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Westchester, Wyoming, Yates.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, York.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

More New York flowers

White campion

Silene latifolia

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Common soapwort

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🌼 Blooms in NY: July–October

Fire pink

Silene virginica

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile DIAR.
iNaturalist, Dianthus armeria: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Dianthus armeria (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Dianthus armeria (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Lynn Harper via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.