Snapdragons, known botanically as Antirrhinum majus, are popular garden plants celebrated for their vibrant, colorful blooms. Their common name comes from the unique shape of their individual flowers, which resemble a dragon’s mouth. These flowers are a popular choice for adding color and vertical interest to beds, borders, and containers. Widely used as ornamental plants and for cut flower arrangements, snapdragons offer diverse hues and distinctive forms. They are often grown as annuals, providing continuous color throughout the cooler seasons of spring and fall.
The Concept of Cultivars
The term “cultivar” is a contraction of “cultivated variety,” referring to specific plant varieties selected or bred by humans for desirable characteristics. Unlike wild species, which evolve naturally, cultivars result from human intervention, such as selective breeding, hybridization, or even natural mutations (“sports”) that are then propagated. The purpose of developing cultivars is to enhance particular traits like unique colors, specific heights, improved yield, or increased disease resistance. Breeders might cross parent plants with distinct desirable features.
Once identified, these plants are propagated to maintain genetic uniformity and specific traits. This propagation often occurs through asexual methods like cuttings, grafting, or tissue culture, as seeds from cultivars may not consistently produce plants identical to the parent. Cultivars are given unique names, typically enclosed in single quotation marks, to distinguish them from other varieties or wild plants. This allows gardeners to choose plants with predictable appearances and performance for specific landscape designs.
Exploring Snapdragon Varieties
Snapdragons come in many varieties, differing in height, flower form, and color. Height categories include dwarf types (6 to 15 inches), medium varieties (15 to 30 inches), and tall snapdragons (2.5 to 4 feet). Trailing snapdragons are also available for hanging baskets or as groundcover. Their varied sizes make snapdragons versatile for many garden applications, from front borders to mixed beds.
Flower forms vary beyond the classic “dragon’s mouth” shape. Some cultivars feature “butterfly” type flowers with fused petals, creating an open-faced appearance. Other varieties, like the ‘Madame Butterfly’ series, have double blossoms, often described as “azalea-flowered” due to their ruffled, full appearance. Snapdragons offer an extensive color range, including white, yellow, pink, red, orange, and purple, with many bicolored or multicolored options. Certain series are bred for specific growing seasons, with some preferring cooler temperatures and others exhibiting heat tolerance, extending their bloom period.
Growing Snapdragons
Successful cultivation of snapdragons requires selecting a suitable location and providing appropriate growing conditions. They prefer full sun to partial shade, favoring cooler temperatures for optimal blooming. While they tolerate some shade, especially in hotter climates, more direct sunlight encourages abundant blooms. Well-draining soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH (6.2-7.0) is ideal, and incorporating organic matter helps ensure fertility.
Snapdragons can be started from seeds indoors 6 to 12 weeks before the last expected frost, as they are slow-growing. Seeds require light for germination, so press them onto the soil surface without covering. Seedlings need consistent moisture and bright light, often benefiting from grow lights for about 16 hours daily. Once seedlings develop a few true leaves, pinch off stem tips to encourage bushier growth.
When transplanting outdoors, space plants 6 to 12 inches apart after the danger of frost has passed. Consistent watering is needed, about one inch per week when there is no rainfall, ensuring the soil remains moist but not waterlogged. Water near the plant’s base to prevent fungal issues. Snapdragons benefit from a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer applied every 2 to 4 weeks during active blooming. Deadheading spent flowers regularly will extend the blooming season until the first hard frost.