Go to homepage

Snapdragons

Snapdragon - the colourful summer flower

Snapdragons (botanically Antirrhinum) are among the most popular summer flowers and can be found in many summer bouquets. Their native habitat stretches from south-west Europe to north-west Africa and west Asia. There are around 21 species in the western Mediterranean region and around 15 species in western North America. They belong to the plantain family (Plantaginaceae). The most well-known is the snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus). As it has been cultivated as a garden and cut flower since the 15th century and was already popular as a cottage garden flower in our grandmother's time, there are several regional names for this summer flower, such as "snapdragon", "snapdragon", "dog's head", "calf's mouth" or "frog's mouth".

We recommend:

What do snapdragons look like?

Snapdragons grow herbaceously and are usually cultivated as annuals. Depending on the variety, they grow to a height of 20 to 100 cm. Their leaves have an ovoid to elongated elliptical, pointed shape and grow in opposite directions. The flowers are made up of several individual blossoms and stand close together, giving the impression that they form a spike or raceme. The flowers open like a small mouth and have a throat. The flower colours range from white to yellow, orange and red to pink. Some of the flowers are even bicoloured.

When do snapdragons flower?

Snapdragons flower in the garden from June to September/October. If you buy them from a gardener or florist, you can select them from March to December.

How long do snapdragons flower in pots?

Snapdragons, which can be bought pre-cultivated in pots, have a flowering time of approx. 3 to 4 weeks with the right care.

Origin - Are snapdragons native?

The snapdragon's original home ranges from south-west Europe to north-west Africa and west Asia. Snapdragons are native to us today.

Varieties

The snapdragon is one of the most popular summer flowers in the garden and is mainly available on the market as hybrid varieties, which are offered in three categories according to size - 60 to 100 cm, 40 to 60 cm and under 40 cm - and in many colours. Seeds are often offered as mixtures. The range also includes historical varieties. The hanging Antirrhinum pendula are suitable for hanging baskets and balcony boxes. The compact variety 'Twinny Peach', for example, belongs to the low varieties (up to 25 cm high). 'Bronze Dragon' has pink-white flowers and also grows low. The pink-coloured 'Rosella' grows tall. 'Appleblossom' has white flowers with a pink-orange centre and grows 60 to 70 cm high. If you like fiery red, go for 'Defiance', which grows more than 70 cm high.

Caring for and planting snapdragons

Snapdragons have no special care requirements. They should be planted in a loose, humus-rich soil. Sufficient moisture without waterlogging promotes their growth and a few fertiliser applications from time to time will encourage them to grow.

Snapdragons can be sown indoors between March and April. If you don't want to do this pre-cultivation, you can sow the seeds directly in a bed or box in April/May. If there are heavy late frosts, the plants must be covered. Pre-grown young plants are also available commercially.

Snapdragon is a cold germinator. Even collected seeds require a cold stimulus. The seed is mixed with a little sand and kept in the refrigerator for a few weeks. The seeds can then be sown in potting compost at 15 to 18 degrees and the germinating plants grown.

Snapdragons are light germinators, so the seeds should only be pressed very lightly into the potting compost.

After flowering, the flowers develop into seed heads in which the round seeds develop.

Snapdragons thrive best in a warm, sunny location in nutrient-rich, slightly acidic soil. Rhododendron substrate is the most suitable substrate for growing these summer flowers.


Snapdragon is a perennial that is usually sown anew every year in order to produce a lush flush of flowers. However, snapdragons can survive light frosts, but the plants usually freeze to death in heavy frost and with insufficient cover.


Snapdragons can be overwintered in a pot in a sheltered location. Before doing so, cut them back to a length of 5 cm.


To encourage long-lasting flowering, faded plants should be removed regularly. This will prevent seed set and the snapdragons will flower again.

When the first three to five flowers have opened in the lower part of the flower cluster, the stem should be cut. These summer flowers are also popular for decorating vases and last for 8 to 10 days.

After flowering is complete, seed heads form. The seeds often fall from the inflorescences and germinate again in the same place in the bed the following spring. This means that snapdragons can easily propagate by self-sowing.

Snapdragons are perennials, they are even robust perennials as they survive light winters and frosts well and also have a good chance of survival due to self-seeding. To ensure they grow nicely bushy, their shoot tips should be topped when they reach a height of around 10 centimetres, so that the plants form side shoots in the shoot axes and take on a bushy habit. Tall varieties should be supported with stakes. To ensure that snapdragons bloom profusely, slow-release fertilizer is ideal or a regular application of liquid fertilizer every 14 days.

To promote their growth and flower formation, snapdragons should be given sufficient nutrients, such as compost or horn shavings. Drought should be avoided so that the snapdragons bloom profusely.

Possible diseases and pests

Snapdragons are actually very robust, but fungal diseases can harm them. Powdery or downy mildew, for example, can occur. Yellowish spots on the upper side of the leaves and dark brown, dusty pustules on the underside of the leaves indicate snapdragon rust.

Infested plant parts should be disposed of in the garbage can so that the pathogen does not survive (e.g. in mild winters). If you cultivate snapdragons in containers or tubs, make sure that the plants are not too wet to avoid root rot.    

Frequently asked questions & answers about snapdragons

No, snapdragons are not poisonous to dogs. 

No, snapdragons are not poisonous to cats.
   

No, snapdragons are not poisonous to rabbits.
 

Yes, thanks to their lush, bright flowers, snapdragons are very popular with bees, but also with bumblebees.

Snapdragons have a delicious taste and contain valuable vitamins, minerals and oils. The flowers of the garden snapdragon are suitable for decorating and enhancing dishes. It is only important to ensure that the plants are neither sprayed nor overly fertilized, as this makes them inedible.