by Sammy Stein

Created on: July 03, 2009

Snapdragons (or antirrhinums to give them their botanical name) can make a great addition to any summer bedding plan. They are annuals apart from the common (A.majus) species, which is a medium height, shrubby perennial. If grown in the right spot, many annual varieties will self-seed, making them seem more like perennials.

They are given the name 'snapdragons' because if you take a flower and gently squeeze the sides, it will open to reveal a hairy 'tongue' and fiery path, resembling the mouth of a dragon. In reality the tongue is the stigma where pollen will be accepted in pollination and the fiery path is the nectar path to lead visiting bees to the nectaries (ensuring they pass by the anthers which will drop pollen onto their backs along the way).

Snapdragons come in many colors from bright yellows, oranges and reds to rusty browns, deepest yellow and pale pinks. Many are multicolored. They also come in various sizes and one of the great things about them is that each variety grows to a roughly uniform height so you can create a carpet effect using solid masses of antirrhinums plants in blocks.Dwarf varieties are ideal as small, compact bedding plants, medium height varieties are ideal for general bedding and fillers and the tall varieties make great cut flowers.

They come in a range of heights, from the diminutive 'Bells' which flowers early and grows to the dizzy height of 30cm or the even smaller 'Chimes' which grows to 15cm. The Rocket series is much taller, growing to around 1.2m tall and these make excellent cut flowers.

Some varieties are now resistant to their only real enemy - Puccinia anthirrinum or anthirrinum rust. Puccinia is a pernacious and highly contagious rust fungi, types of which affect snapdragons, hollyhocks and other ornamental plants. It has been noted that salt spray tends to mean a reduction in the success of the rust and those plants grown in coastal regions get it far less than those grown inland but it continues to be one reason why the plants have diminished in popularity. Antirrhinums are also slightly prone to powdery mildew and aphids but you can grow them with tagetes (which attract hoverflies whose larvae eat aphids) to combat this and they make a fantastic combination.

Trials at RHS Wisley (UK) have taken place to try to obtain rust resistant varieties with some success (Coronet Series and Tahiti Series).

Antirrhinums need fertile, well drained soil, free of weeds at planting and dead heading them will prolong the flowers. You can propagate by sowing seed in late summer, early autumn or spring in potsin a cold frame or by rooting softwood cuttings in summer. Many varieties do not come true from seeds.

They tolerate drought in different degrees according to type with the dwarf varieties faring better than the tall but generally, they need good amounts of water if the weather is very dry.

Snapdragons are wonderful, playful and delightful plants. They are one of those flowers which feel robust, yet they have an almost magical fragility to them at the same time, especially the delicately colored pastel shades, and need to be treated lovingly if they are to last for many years (self sown or perennials). Keep the soil weed free around them when they are young as they cannot compete well with weeds and make sure they get enough room and light.

Once established and happy, your Snapdragonswill bloom in the same place every year, bringing a touch of colour and joy to your garden.

Enjoy!

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