Plant snapdragons

Many of us have childhood memories of cheery, colourful snapdragons, with their beautiful quirky flowers that open when they are pinched on their sides, appearing like a tiny beast or dragon about to snap. This strange characteristic still intrigues me today – it’s just part of nature’s fascination.

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are sturdy, short-lived perennial plants but are usually grown as annuals, as their best flowering occurs in the first year of growth. One of the most attractive, vibrantly coloured flowering plants available, they bloom over a long period of time, producing flowers
from late autumn through to early summer.

‘Snappies’ can be divided into three groups, according to their height. Those in the tallest category reach 75–120cm high and require staking, intermediate varieties grow 40–70cm tall, and the dwarf varieties, which are perfect for containers or growing at the edge of garden beds, are a compact 15–30cm in height.

Within each group, there is a great selection of single and bicolour flowers in shades of white, orange, red, yellow, pink, purple, peach and violet. Mix and match the colours in mass plantings for an arresting show in the garden. They also make a beautiful long-lasting display in a vase or bouquet.

How to grow snapdragons

Snapdragons need a sunny spot, and a well-drained soil with compost added. Avoid heavy and sodden soils, as the plants are prone to root rot in these conditions. Instead, grow your snappies in pots filled with premium potting mix.

Plant in autumn and late winter/spring. They don’t mind cold but may not survive severe winters, so if that’s you, hold off planting until spring. Seeds germinate easily and seedlings are readily available if you want a quick start. Pinch out the top when seedlings reach 10cm, to encourage branching.

Keep your snappies well watered and feed them with liquid fertiliser once a fortnight. Removing spent blooms will help to keep plants tidy and extend the flowering time. Old varieties have been known to get rust disease on their foliage, but this problem has largely been bred out of modern varieties.

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