Help identifying this flower

[Dwayne Smith]

Could someone help me identify the flower pictured here?

looks something like cornflower, but the leaves/stems are wrong.

The plant is located in Chantilly, Virginia, and was the first thing to bloom this spring - around mid-march - and is still blooming. The plant itself just appeared in our garden last fall (I hate it when that happens) and bloomed then as well. It never really died off through the winter.

[Jim Shaffer, Jr.]

"pinks", which is more or less perennial, as opposed to the species commonly called "Sweet William" which is shorter, greener, and more or less annual or biennial.

[paghat]

Dianthus, small cousin to the carnation, semi-evergreen. Maybe specifically Dianthus gratianopolitanus.

-paghat the ratgirl

['enry VIII]

Diantus, very pretty.

'enry VIII

[HPBudlong]

In England we call them "Pinks." Helen

[Kay Lancaster]

It's a Dianthus, a carnation relative. Offhand it looks like a cheddar pink to me (D. gratianopolitanus), but I don't sight- recognize most cultivated Dianthus -- there are about 300 species and a couple of bushels of hybrids.

I'm rather fond of the Caryophyllaceae...it's an easy family to recognize, and often the flowers are spicy-fragrant.

[Dwayne Smith]

Thanks to all for the ID of dianthus!