Snapdragons

How many of us, as children, pinched snapdragon blooms between our fingers to see the floral dragon open and close its mouth? Yep, count me in!

The tall, colorful spikes of snapdragon flowers are a lovely garden addition. Snapdragons come in a wide variety of colors: red, orange, yellow, white, pink, burgundy, purple and multicolored.

​While these tender perennials may not last from year to year, they readily self-seed. This means they will drop the next year’s crop of seeds onto the soil as they fade. Once established, snapdragons can provide gardeners with many years of spring and summer blossoms. They also attract beneficial insects, such as bumblebees. These pollination powerhouses will increase production of many other plants in the garden. 

Fairy snapdragons

Snapdragon classification

Standard snapdragons are classified as midget (6-8”), medium (15-30”), and tall (30-48”). There are also fairy snapdragons (pictured) that provide delicate, miniature versions of the blooms.

How to grow snapdragons

Snapdragons perform best in full or partial sun. They prefer well-drained soil and do well in rockeries. Unlike many other flowers, snapdragons can withstand frost and often provide cool season flowers.

Snapdragons are difficult to start from seed, but it can be done. The normal lifecycle of a snapdragon is to bloom in fall and winter (weather permitting) and then drop seeds in spring. These seeds are exposed to a lot of heat during the summer. If you want to grow snapdragons from seed, simply reproduce that cycle. Cold, damp weather or soil will halt their growth. After flowers have passed their peak, be sure to deadhead the plants for more blooms.

Snapdragon plants can become leggy and may need support. You can reduce this need by pruning the longest stems to form a bushier shape. Regular deadheading will promote more flower development.

Snapdragon pests & diseases

Once established, snapdragons should be allowed to dry out between waterings. They are prone to several fungal diseases, such as:

• Snapdragon Rust - Dark brown or rust colored blisters form on leaves and stems
• Root rots - Plants show signs of water-stress
• Cottony rot - White, cottony fuzz in the soil and around the base of the plant
• Damping off and stem rot - Stems of seedlings look pinched and the plant falls over
• Downy and powdery mildews - White or gray fuzz on leaves
• Gray mold - Fuzzy gray mold on stems, leaves and flowers
• Verticillium wilt - Yellowing leaves, twig dieback, and wilting

Anthracnose, root knot nematode, crown gall, and leaf and stem spot are also occasional problems on snapdragon.

              WARNING: ALL PARTS OF SNAPDRAGON ARE POISONOUS IF EATEN.