Snapdragon

Few gardens should be without the easy charm of snapdragons. They get their name from the fact that you can gently squeeze the sides of the intricately shaped flower and see the jaws of a dragon head snap closed. The blooms come in gorgeous colors, including some with beautiful color variations on each flower. Plus, snapdragons are an outstanding cut flower. Gather a dozen or more in a small vase and you'll have one of the prettiest bouquets around.

Snapdragons are especially useful because they're a cool-season annual, coming into their own in early spring when the warm-season annuals, such as marigolds and impatiens, are just being planted. They're also great for fall color.

Plant snapdragon in early spring, a few weeks before your region's last frost date. Deadhead regularly for best bloom and fertilize regularly. Snapdragons often self-seed in the landscape if not deadheaded, so they come back year after year, though the colors from hybrid plants will often will be muddy looking. In mild regions, the entire plant may overwinter if covered with mulch.

Shown above: 'Rocket Red' snapdragon

Light:

Sun,Part Sun

Plant Type:

Annual

Plant Height:

1-4 feet tall

Plant Width:

6-12 inches wide

Flower Color:

Red, pink, yellow, orange, or white flowers

Bloom Time:

Blooms from spring to fall

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Cut Flowers,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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'Butterfly Bronze' snapdragon

Antirrhinum 'Bronze Butterfly' bears open-faced, golden-orange flowers on 3-foot-tall plants.
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'Rocket Red' snapdragon

Antirrhinum 'Rocket Red' bears crimson-red flowers on tall, 3-foot stems.
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'Solstice Yellow' snapdragon

Antirrhinum 'Solstice Yellow' bears spikes of golden-yellow flowers on 2-foot-tall plants.
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'Sonnet Pink' snapdragon

Antirrhinum 'Sonnet Pink' bears soft pink flowers on 2-foot-tall plants.
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Garden Plans

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Deckside Container-Garden Plan
Large Summer Sunny Border
Annual Raised-Bed Garden Plan
Fragrant Entry Garden Plan
Hot-Color Flower Garden Plan
Annual Garden for Full Sun
Summer Rock Garden
English-Style Front Yard Garden Plan
Front Walk Garden Plan

Plant It With

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Licorice plant

The silvery foliage of licorice plant looks good with just about every flower, especially dark red snapdragons.

Petunia

Snapdragons come in about as many colors as petunias, so it's easy to find varieties that look great together.

Salvia

Another old-fashioned favorite, salvia produces spikes of brightly colored flowers that make a perfect complement to snapdragons.

Propagation

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Seed