Snapdragon

Antirrhinum majus is the botanical name of Common Snapdragon, which is simply called snapdragon. Its common name comes from the reaction of the throats of the flowers being squeezed where the ‘mouth’, as it is called, snaps open.

It is a perennial plant, often treated as an annual, which grows typically half a metre to a metre but can grow up to two metres tall. Flowers come in a variety of colours, with flowering season often lasting late spring to autumn in most areas, but in warmer areas in spring and later in autumn. The flowers are hermaphrodite, with it being pollinated by bees and even by itself.

Regular watering and full sun is needed by snapdragons, with the pH of the soil best at 6.1 to 6.5 with sand to loam soils best enjoyed. Snapdragons can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. It doesn’t mind having a light shade. A generally easy to grow plant.

Taller varieties of snapdragons may need staking, with some varieties also drought tolerant. Removing spent flowers also allows for the extending of flowering season. For propagation, by seed is often but cuttings from non-flowering stems is possible.