Deptford Pink, Dianthus Armeria

Day 268: Pink or not, I love Dianthus armeria, the Deptford Pink, and I very nearly eliminated them from the Barren Wasteland by overzealously collecting the seed to share with friends. I neglected to consider that they are an annual, and as such, need to re-sow themselves as their primary means of reproduction. But like many plants, they also have a backup plan. The roots sometimes form additional basal rosettes, so although the plant you see today may be dead and gone in the space of a few years, its clones may persist to form genetically identical offshoots of their own. The species was introduced to North America so long ago that it is now considered naturalized. Although the stems may grow to two feet in height, they are thready and thin. The freckled flowers appear at the tips and are relatively small, measuring only half an inch at maximum. They close in late afternoon or early evening.