Dianthus webbianus var. alpinus is a perennial of the Caryophyllaceae family, a high-altitude variety of the type species, confined to the alpine and subalpine levels of the siliceous mountains of central and northern Spain, mainly in the Sierra de Gredos and the Sierra de Guadarrama, above 2,000 meters.
Compared to the type species, this variety forms smaller, tighter, and more flattened cushions of rigid, spiky linear leaves, dark green, which are organized into very characteristic star-shaped rosettes. The habit is even more compact and mineral, perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of the alpine level.
The flowers are significantly more colorful than in the type form, from bright pink to true pink-purple, with denticulate petals, carried at a very short distance above the cushion. This color intensity, combined with the density of the dark cushion, creates a particularly striking contrast. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from July to August.
In cultivation, it requires absolute drainage, a poor mineral substrate preferably siliceous, and full sun exposure. Cultivation in an alpine trough or very rocky rock garden suits it better than an ordinary flower bed. Its hardiness is excellent, and it is the remarkable compactness of the cushion, visible all year round, that constitutes its main attraction.