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Have carnations lost their fragrance?
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Posted by luther_burbank British Columbia (My Page) on Tue, Jun 27, 06 at 17:17
| I am 71 years old. In my youth the strongest (pleasant) fragrance of any flower was that of the carnation. Modern carnations don't seem to have that fragrance; some seem to me to have no odor at all. If I were a cynic I would suspect that florists had bred the odor out of carnations for their own selfish purposes.
With age my upper frequency threshold of hearing has decreased, and it is possible that my other senses have been impaired as well. If that is not the case, however, I would like to find some heritage seeds for old fasioned carnations. I am retired and I have plenty of time to stop and smell the roses, but they don't satisfy me.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Leigh (needless to say, I am not Luther Burbank) |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Have carnations lost their fragrance?
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- Posted by jimshy z7 Brooklyn, NY (My Page) on
Wed, Jun 28, 06 at 16:17
| Hi Leigh, It does seem like many modern carnations were bred for everything but fragrance, but there are a number of varieties that are supposed to be quite fragrant. It's hard to say if it's your nose or the flower's at fault, unless you have some young whipper-snapper along with you to compare. Are there any public gardens or nurseries nearby that you could visit? Otherwise, I would search for seed nurseries that carry fragrant varieties, plant 'em, and give them a try! Jim |
RE: Have carnations lost their fragrance?
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- Posted by mare2 5bSt.Louis (My Page) on
Wed, Jun 28, 06 at 19:35
| I hate to encourage cynicism, but I honestly don’t think it’s your nose. The only plant my father ever mentioned with any fondness was a carnation he said his neighbors had that could knock your socks off from quite a distance. I don’t think it’s the florists who are to blame, though, but those of us in hot-summer climates with bugs who are buying the plants that look better longer. Fortunately you’re not alone, and as more people make it clear that we’re willing to pay for scent, the Powers That Bee (sorry) will provide it. So I agree with Jim about the seeds. Am pretty sure Thompson and Morgan ships just about everywhere, right? Just an idea. And please let us know if you find something you love!
'Mare |
Here is a link that might be useful: Seeds
RE: Have carnations lost their fragrance?
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| I was a florist for over twenty years. It is not your imagination or your nose. The oils that produce fragrance in flowers also cause the cut flower not to last as long or be as safely shipped. As more and more farm/greenhouse land is sold for houses more and more cut flowers are imported from South America. There are very few carnation growers left in the USA. Carnations (and Roses) bred for production for florists had the scent bred out of them when they bred for longer vase life and ease of being shipped long distances safely. Now that they have achieved that goal, breeders are breeding the fragrance back in, especially to roses. Seeking out garden or heirloom hybrids, rather than florist hybrids often gets you much more fragrance too. |
RE: Have carnations lost their fragrance?
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| Thank you all for your responses. It is good to reinforce my confidence that I am not "losing it" in my senescence. If anyone has actually grown carnations with strong fragrance in the last decade I would very much like to know where the seeds came from. Thanks, Leigh |
RE: Have carnations lost their fragrance?
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| As you age your hearing and eyesight go because of damage to the sensory orgains (scarring in the small end of the cochlea and imperfections in the cornea and retina respectively) However, your sence of smell is most often lost in the brain (although respiratory hinderance can cause problems) Eating lots of Tumeric which contains the yellow pigment curcurmen will help keep your sence of smell in place reportedly. The trend of flowers becoming less and less fragrant shows up across the board, Sweet peas, roses, lilacs, carnations, andmany others have all lost significant amounts of fragrance. |
RE: Have carnations lost their fragrance?
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| If you find sources for obtaining fragrant carnation seeds, please advise me also. I'm another old coot that misses the fragrance of the older breeds of flowers like the carnation and petunias. And I know my old snoot still performs well, lol. Emery/Mick |
RE: Have carnations lost their fragrance?
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| I used to have lots of older customers complain about lilies, carnations and other scented flowers saying that the fragrance reminded them of funerals. :( I don't know anything about the seed company nor the cultivar below but it says it is very fragrant. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Heirloom Carnation seeds
This one also says it is fragrant
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Here is a link that might be useful: another one
RE: Have carnations lost their fragrance?
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| I just received a dozen pink and white carnations for Valentines Day from my husband. While they are beautiful, I don't have high hopes to smell the same spicy smell I remember from my youth (I'm 52). I really miss that! I hope they breed it back in someday, or I may just have to eat a box of chocolates instead! |
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