Cheddar Pink - Champion Species for the Mendip Hills National Landscape

The Cheddar Pink is the Flower of Somerset! With Somerset Day on Saturday 11th May it's time to introduce the Cheddar Pink, the official Flower of Somerset.
This small rose-pink carnation loves to grow on steep, rocky outcrops on Mendip. The small flowers smell strongly of cloves, and come out in from May to July. These plants are limestone specialists, clinging to cliff faces in hard to reach spots, in environments where nutrients are scarce and the conditions can be harsh, they certainly deserve the title of 'hardy perennial'.
The last stronghold of the Cheddar Pink is Cheddar Gorge but they can be found in smaller numbers along the south facing slopes of the Mendip Hills.
The Champion Species are; adder, black oil beetle, Cheddar pink, greater horseshoe bat, hazel dormouse, skylark, small pearl-bordered fritillary and water vole. What makes them 'champions'? They’re all threatened and vulnerable to disappearing from our lives. They all tell us how good, or not, the areas are where they live. And, they’re all quirky, conversation-starters!