Botanically speaking, it is a hunger artist: it thrives best on sunny, airy slopes and requires very little water. However, its existence in cultural history is as multifaceted in meaning as the variety of its types: sometimes the carnation symbolizes wealth, then transition and mourning, sometimes it signifies a marriage proposal, and at other times a frivolous interest. In white bloom, it became a hallmark of antisemites, while workers showcased its polyester replica during celebrations in the GDR. Grown in pots and beds, exchanged, cultivated in various colors and shapes by nobles and citizens, researching scholars and gardening amateurs, painted and drawn, often described and admired, but always also scorned for its perceived artificiality and its compliance with every new trend. In Susanne Stephan's rich portrait.