Illustration
Coconut Surprise
Dianthus 'Coconut Surprise'
Coconut Surprise blooms from May through July.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Coconut Surprise
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–9. Expect it to reach about 10 in tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (a house reading).
Is Coconut Surprise toxic to dogs or cats?
- Listed as toxic to dogs and cats by NC State Extension and Royal Horticultural Society.
- Listed as poisonous to people by NC State Extension.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Nine facts were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Soil, diseases, pests, toxicity and the plant's own names have not yet been read for this plant, and its trait tags are the ones a feature uses rather than every word a page prints. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Coconut Surprise
Plant Coconut Surprise in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 7, the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means September or October. Once settled, it blooms from May to July.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 7, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 7 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Coconut Surprise get?
10 intall5 ft 7 inan adult12 inwideSee Coconut Surprise in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Coconut Surprise
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Coconut Surprise about 12 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Coconut Surprise to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Coconut Surprise's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags were checked against 7 published sources on October 22, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical Gardenheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- valleynurseryutah.comValley Nurseryheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- Perennials.com (Heritage Perennials)Valleybrookheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water and bloom months and color
- Sooner Plant Farmheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societyheight, sun, bloom months and color and trait tags
- whetmanpinksusa.comPinks by Whetman / PlantHavenheight, spread, hardiness zones and bloom months and color
- NC State Extensionsun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Coconut Surprise
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Mildly toxic to dogs and cats: an unknown irritant causes mild stomach upset, and the leaves' saponins can cause mild skin dermatitis in sensitive people. per ASPCA and NC State
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.