Last updated on March 31st, 2023 at 07:53 am
Snapdragon Plant care. These plants are also called Antirrhinum, dragon flower or the Spanish name “boca de dragón”. They will bloom throughout the spring seasons and into early summer. Once it gets hot, they start to fizzle out in the hot southwest summer heat. But to make them bloom longer and look better, try to place them in the morning sun and afternoon shade. You can also water them often and they will respond with new growth and blooms. The plant is not dangerous to dogs, children, and adults.
Use good organic soil in garden beds or potting mix if you plan to place them in containers. Water about 2-3 per week during the spring seasons more often once the sizzling summer sets in. Remember, pots will retain heat during the summer seasons. Watering more often will help keep your plants from drying out. Fertilize with a good all-purpose fertilizer, a 20-20-20 analysis will work well.
Types of Snapdragons
The most common ones are tall, and the blooms come in many colors’ reds, whites, yellows, lavender, purple, and pink. These tall Snapdragons will reach a height of about 1-2 ft. tall sometimes taller if conditions are right. For the best look or effect, it’s best to plant them in mass around a border or towards the back.
There are dwarf snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are the same requirements and the colors are the same. Many novice gardeners mistake these plants for garden stock plants.
Where to place them?
Most garden websites will tell you to place them in full sun and this is true to some degree. But, as mentioned earlier, I recommend planting them in some shade. This will help them bloom longer when the summer heat comes around.
Use them in garden beds, or decorative containers and it’s best to plant the tall ones towards the back followed by smaller annuals or perennials like lobelia or periwinkle in the front.
Are snapdragons perennials or annuals?
They like cool weather and will come back year after year if they are placed in good soil and temperatures do not consistently get below 10° Fahrenheit during the winter seasons. Snapdragons are self-seeding plants meaning they will drop their seeds nearby and if conditions are right, they will germinate. The seeds will survive minus-degree weather making it a good choice for cooler regions of the southwest. Most local nurseries will sell snapdragons as an annual and you will find them in the annual section. From my own experience, they usually will start to pop up in late winter or early spring.
Problems with Snapdragons
Snapdragons are very hardy and easy to care for plants but on occasion, they can develop powdery mildew, aphids, rust, and blight. Avoid overspray from the sprinkler system to keep diseases away. At the first sign of aphids or other insects spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil, both are organic insecticides.
Learn more about snapdragons over at Wikipedia.
Companion plants would be dusty miller, periwinkle, geraniums, and lobelia shown below.
USDA zones are 7-11.
