Dianthus Gratianopolitanus

Cheddar pink is a compact native perennial forming mats of slender, glaucous blue-grey leaves and intensely fragrant rose-pink flowers with deeply toothed edges. Its clove-like perfume and silvery foliage make it attractive even in a small space. The plant takes its common name from the limestone cliffs of Cheddar Gorge, one of its best-known British habitats, where it survives in dry, exposed crevices. Now scarce in the wild, it is a valuable and beautiful garden alpine for sunny walls, gravel beds and troughs, provided the soil is alkaline and perfectly drained.