Snapdragon | Plant, Flower, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

What are some interesting facts about snapdragons? ›

The smallest variety of these snout-shaped blooms can be anywhere between 6 to 15 inches in height whereas the tallest variety can grow up to 48 inches tall! Unfortunately, snapdragons are prone to rust, especially in hotter, drier conditions. As a matter of fact, these blooms grow best with plenty of sun in damp soil!

Transform your garden into a vibrant, pollinator-friendly oasis with the Snapdragon's charm 🌺. 🎨 Vibrant colors transform gardens into a living canvas with extended blooms. 🐝 Attracts pollinators, enriching garden ecosystems and supporting biodiversity.

Snapdragons can repeat bloom throughout the season but they do best in the cool of spring and fall. In cooler climates, they bloom all summer long, and in milder climates, they sometimes bloom throughout the winter. These short-lived perennials are usually grown as annuals.

These classic favorites attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies and make excellent cutting flowers. In most places, snapdragons are grown as cool-season annuals. They're biennials in USDA Zones 8 and 9. If you're lucky, they'll self-sow and you'll get volunteers the following year.

In English folklore, magicians believed that Snapdragons had the ability to break curses. In Germany, Snapdragons were placed above a baby's crib to keep it safe from evil spirits. Snapdragons can be prone to Aphids, so keep them away from roses and other plants that are also susceptible to aphids.

Because snapdragons attract butterflies and especially bees, they are a perfect addition to the pollinator-friendly garden. They also make wonderful cut flowers and may last up to 10 days in a vase.

Meaning & Symbolism of Snapdragon

Legend has it that concealing a snapdragon makes a person appear fascinating and cordial, and in the language of flowers, snapdragons are said to represent both deception (perhaps tied to the notion of concealment) and graciousness.

Nurseries may make the matter even more confusing by labeling snapdragons as “half hardy annuals” or “tender perennials.” How long do snapdragons live as a perennial? This all depends on the variety and location, but generally short-lived perennials live about an average of three years.

They're gorgeous and come in an almost endless variety of colors! In certain areas, they can be especially prone to pests, but for this reason, they can be used as a trap crop. Plant them at a distance from your vegetable garden and they tend to attract pests, drawing them away from your veggies.

Do snapdragons spread? Snapdragons seed readily, keeping a continuous supply of new flowers. They also cross-pollinate easily so new flowers may not look like the parent flowers. To keep them from spreading, deadhead any spent flowers before they go to seed.

Do snapdragons grow back yearly? ›

Do snapdragons come back every year? Snapdragons are short-lived garden plants. They don't return in cool areas where the plants are grown as annuals. Even those grown as perennials in warmer regions don't reliably return, although you might see them for another season.

Transplants should be started 8-10 weeks before your Average Last Spring Frost. For example, our Average Last Spring Frost is May 15, so I need to start my Snapdragon seeds indoors in early to mid March.

Snapdragons are mostly short-lived perennial plants, though some species are annuals. The simple leaves are usually lance-shaped. The flowers are tubular, bilaterally symmetrical, and usually large with a closed liplike mouth that excludes most insects but can be forced open by strong bees, the main pollinators.

Snapdragons are not well suited to growing in containers in the heat of summer. Full sun locations will promote the most prolific blooms. They can also tolerate part sun locations. Choose a planter with drainage holes that is both wider and deeper than your plants.

Snapdragons do best in rich, well-draining soil in a sunny location, though they will tolerate part shade. Pinching off the stem tips on young plants will make them thicker and bushier, and deadheading the spent flowers will extend the bloom season, often right into the first frost of the late fall or early winter.