Silene caroliniana; Caryophyllaceae

This one just took me by surprise.  I went to a favorite area that has some unusual plants, and saw two that I didn’t know were evergreens (I’ll post about the other one next time).  Apparently this one is a semi-evergreen, which usually means the leaves will survive a mild winter.  Wild pink is endangered in Florida and exploitably vulnerable in New York.  Start looking for the flowers in early May.

Oh, and about that common name… one internet source says that the word “pink” used to describe color came from the common name of flowers in the genus Dianthus.  For some reason I had it in mind that the word “pink” in describing flowers of the Caryophyllaceae came from an old word meaning “to cut a decorative edge” – like what you use “pinking shears” for.  I can’t find a source to support that claim, though.  If anyone reading this is an expert in English etymology and would care to post a reply, I’d be grateful.