Scientific name: Antirrhinum majus.Growth habit: Upright to rounded annuals growing to 4 feet tall and a foot wide. The leaves are dark green and lancelike and grow to 4 inches long and an inch wide.Light: Grows and flowers best in full sun; tolerates light shade.
Water needs: Prefers a moist soil; grows best if watered weekly during the dry times.Feedings: Apply a general garden fertilizer monthly or use a slow-release fertilizer as instructed on the label.Propagation: Start plants from seed.Ease of culture: Easy.Hardiness: Hardy; tolerates all but severe freezes.Major problems: Nematodes can affect the roots; plant in nematode-free soil. Aphids and chewing insects are also occasional pests that can be controlled with natural sprays as needed.Pruning: Remove flower stalks that have finished opening buds to encourage additional blooms. Also, stake taller varieties to prevent wind damage. Remove from flower beds when the hot, rainy season arrives.Uses: A reliable cool-season annual planted October through April. Taller varieties are best used as solitary plantings or backdrops for lower-growing flowers. Shorter selections can be clustered for mass plantings or used as an edging for beds. Snapdragons make good container additions and are often combined with other annuals. The blooms form along spikes held above the foliage that might be a foot or more in length. Individual flowers might have the traditional dragonhead look or be open-faced and resembling a butterfly. The taller flower spikes often are cut for bouquets.Florida native: No; native to the Mediterranean region.
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