How to Grow Snapdragon Plant Profile
Care and Maintenance of Antirrhinum majus in the Garden Landscape
Apr 29, 2007
A cheerful flower that children love to play with, snapdragons have been popular in cottage gardens for years.
Cultivation Information and How to Grow Snapdragons
Botanical and Common Name - Antirrhinum majus is the scientific name for the Snapdragon plant.
Plant Category - Snapdragons are self-sowing annual plants.
Bloom Time and Color - They are cool-season annuals that bloom all spring through early summer in nearly every available flower color, or bicolor, except blue and green. With cutting back in the summer many snapdragons will rebloom when cooler fall temperatures arrive.
Foliage - The foliage is attractive with narrow, dark-green leaves.
Growth Habit - Snapdragons have a narrow, upright growth habit that adds a gentle vertical contrast to the garden.
Dimensions - While most snapdragon plants grow about 3’ tall, dwarf varieties are also available.
Preferred Conditions - Snapdragons prefer full sun, regular water and rich, well-drained soil.
Maintenance - The only true maintenance needed with snapdragons would be cutting the plants back and watering deeply in the summer heat after flowers fade. Often this will cause another flush of blooms in the fall. Many gardeners, however, prefer to leave one or two flower stalks to ripen and self-sow seedlings for the next year.
Pests or Diseases - Snapdragon rust can be a problem but disease resistant varieties and adequate air circulation between plants (avoiding overcrowding) can help prevent this problem.
Propagation Methods - Snapdragons are easy to grow from seed and will often self-sow volunteer seedlings in the garden although new plants may not be true to form of the parent plants. Started bedding plants can be easily purchased from many lawn and garden centers to set out in the early spring.
Using Snapdragons in the Garden Landscape
Companion Plants - Snapdragons do well with other cool-season annuals. Also, consider mixing snapdragons with other spring blooming plants for a cheerful spring border. Plant snapdragons between summer blooming perennials so the snapdragons will hold interest and provide color until the perennials fill in and begin their flowering season.
Seasons of Interest - Narrow foliage is attractive spring, summer and autumn but flowers are best in the cooler weather of spring and fall.
Uses in the Garden - Snapdragons are great in cut flower plant beds, containers, butterfly gardens, and deer resistant borders. They are charming plants often associated with cottage style gardens as well.
Other Uses - Snapdragons have long been a favorite garden play-thing of children – and grown ups. The rounded, tubular flowers resemble faces with two large lips and it is fun to gently squeeze the sides of the flower to see the “lips” open like a mouth and then “snap” shut again. Supervision should be maintained when allowing children to play with these flowers however, as all parts of the plant, including the flowers and seeds, are toxic if ingested.
Varieties and Cultivars - The Five Category Divisions of Snapdragons
- Tall Snapdragon Cultivars - Over 2' tall
Antirrhinum majus ‘Rocket’ – A favorite snapdragon to use as cut flowers the ‘Rocket’ series snapdragons have prolific and fragrant flower spikes that can grow to 4’ tall.
A. majus ‘Appleblossom’ – Long blooming snapdragon grows 3’ tall and has lovely blush pink flowers.
A. majus ‘Cinnamon Bronze’ – An unusual snapdragon, ‘Cinnamon Bronze’ has double, open flowers known as “double azalea” form snapdragons. This 4’ tall snapdragon will likely need staking but is well worth it to enjoy the stately multi-toned apricot, peach and salmon colored flowers.
- Intermediate Snapdragon Cultivars - Between 1-2' tall
A. majus ‘Lipstick’ – An intermediate snapdragon that grows to 18” tall and has sturdy flower stalks packed with bi-color blooms; yellow flowers with red accents.
A. majus ‘Dancing Flame’ – A red flowering, 15” tall snapdragon that is the first with green and white, variegated leaves to be widely available.
A. majus ‘Black Prince’ – Deep red blooms 1 ½’ tall stand out against foliage that turns burgundy purple in cool weather.
A. majus ‘Coronette’ – 18” tall snapdragon is more tolerant of poor soil conditions than others.
- Dwarf Snapdragon Cultivars - Under 1' tall.
A. majus ‘Peaches and Cream’ – 6-8” tall bicolored peach and cream flowering snapdragon.
A. majus ‘Purple and White Bells’ – 8-10” tall open-flowered form snapdragon with purple blooms that have bright white throats. Highly attractive form.
A. majus ‘Little Darling Mix’ – An All America Selection winner this 12” dwarf comes in a wide variety of colors.
- Open-Faced Snapdragon Cultivars - Non-snapping flowers
A. majus ‘Madame Butterfly’ – A 24-36” tall snapdragon with mixed flower colors, this snapdragon has the double azalea flower form.
A. majus ‘Pixie Mix’ – A dwarf butterfly flowered form this snapdragon only gets about 6-8” tall.
- Trailing snapdragon Cultivars - Cascading forms
A. majus ‘Lampion’ – Trailing form snapdragon with mixed bicolor blooms. Fragrant flowers on branches that can hang anywhere from 24-60”.
A. majus ‘Royal Carpet’ Mix – Mixed colored snapdragon 8” tall and spreading to 12” wide. Rust resistant snapdragon.
