Snapdragon is an annual flower that children love because they can snap open the flowers like puppets. Snapdragons endure cool weather and are widely planted for winter flower colors in mild-winter areas.


Snapdragon is an annual flower planted for winter colors. Children love this winter flower.
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Snapdragons are full sun annual flowers. 
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Description: Snapdragons uniformly bear a whorl of flowers atop slender stalks. The best known are ones with snappable flowers, but others have open-faced flowers including double forms. Colors include white, yellow, burgundy, red, pink, orange, and bronze.

How to grow: Plant in rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Grow in full sun. Space tall varieties 12 inches apart, small varieties 6 inches apart. Pinch tips of young plants to encourage branching. For cool season bloom, plant snapdragons in September.

Propagation: Germination takes an average of eight days at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. For early bloom, sow seeds indoors six to eight weeks before setting outdoors after last frost.

Uses: Use the tall varieties for the back of the floral border and for cut flowers. Short varieties are good in borders and as edgings.

Scientific name: Antirrhinum majus

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