Grow snapdragons in full sun, on cool, moist soil that drains. Shops also call it Antirrhinum.
Give it full sun, cool weather, and soil that drains
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, with a little afternoon shade if the bed bakes | Do not hide it on a dark north wall |
| Soil | Moist, rich soil that drains | Do not plant it in a hole that stays wet after rain |
| Water | Keep the soil evenly moist, and water at the base | Do not soak the leaves on a humid evening, and do not let the bed dry out in a hot week |
| Heat | Cool spring or fall weather; in mild-winter gardens, grow it for fall and winter bloom | Do not expect a full show in midsummer heat |
| Kind | Dwarf kinds for the front of the bed and for pots; tall kinds for cutting; trailing kinds for a hanging basket | Do not buy a three-foot cut kind for a small patio pot |
| Deer | Snapdragons are often left by deer | Do not count on it if deer pressure is high and other food is scarce |
Snapdragons want full sun, cool weather, and moist soil that drains. A hole that stays wet after rain is the usual reason the roots rot. Water at the base so the leaves stay dry. The spikes also stall when days stay hot. [1] snapdragon is Antirrhinum majus, a cool-season spike with a hinged, two-lipped mouth. In mild-winter gardens, set plants in fall for bloom through winter and again in spring. [2]
How much sun do snapdragons need?
Full sun is the usual site. A little afternoon shade helps if the bed bakes. A dark wall gives you leaves and few spikes.
Why did my snapdragons stop blooming in heat?
Snapdragons are a cool-season plant. When days stay hot, the spikes stall. Cut the plants back and wait for cooler nights, or plant again for fall.
Do deer eat snapdragons?
Deer often leave them. If pressure is high and other food is scarce, protect new transplants until they are growing hard.
Grow dwarf kinds in a pot that drains
A pot that drains can hold a dwarf or trailing snapdragon on a patio. Use a potting mix, not garden soil, and empty the saucer after rain. Water when the top of the mix is dry. Tall cut-flower kinds tip a small pot, so keep those in the bed.
- Choose a dwarf or trailing kind, not a three-foot cut spike, for a patio pot or hanging basket.
- Use a pot with a drainage hole and a mix that drains. Do not put garden soil in the pot.
- Set the plant at the same depth it grew in the cell. Water when the top of the mix is dry, and empty the saucer.
Can I grow snapdragons in a pot?
Yes, if you pick a dwarf or trailing kind, use a mix that drains, and water when the top of the mix is dry. It is not a houseplant.
Deadhead spent spikes, then cut the plant back after the first flush
Once a spike has gone to seed, the plant slows down on new flowers. Cut the spent spike just above a leaf node so a side shoot can take over. When the first flush is finished, cut the plant back hard and keep the soil moist so a second set of spikes can come in cool weather. [3]
- Cut each spent spike just above a healthy leaf node. Leave unopened buds on the same plant alone.
- When most spikes have finished, cut the stems back to about five or six leaf nodes, or to about 6 inches on a tall kind.
- Water the bed, then wait for cooler nights. New shoots should show in a few weeks.
- If you bought a pack that is still one tall stem, pinch the tip once before a flower bud shows so the plant branches. The first pinch on a seedling tray belongs on Growing Snapdragons from Seed.
Should I pinch garden snapdragons?
Pinch a pack plant once before a bud shows if you want more branches. Leave a cut-flower stem unpinched if you want one long spike.
How do I deadhead snapdragons?
Cut the spent spike just above a leaf node. When the whole flush is over, cut the plant back to about six inches and keep it watered.
Not summer snapdragon — and not a climbing vine
If the tag says summer snapdragon, that is Angelonia, a heat plant, not this cool-season spike — see How to Grow Angelonia. Island bush snapdragon is a shrub — see How to Grow Galvezia. Penstemon is a different two-lipped perennial — see How to Grow Penstemons.
Climbing snapdragon is a vine (Maurandella), not this bedding spike. Toadflax is Linaria. A search for dwarf snapdragon also pulls a wild Chaenorhinum. If the tag says snapdragon or Antirrhinum majus, you still have this cool-season plant with a hinged mouth.
Is this Angelonia?
No. Angelonia is sold as summer snapdragon and holds in heat. Garden snapdragon is Antirrhinum, and it slows down in midsummer.
Is climbing snapdragon the same plant?
No. Climbing snapdragon is a vine. Garden snapdragon is the upright or dwarf bedding spike.
Cut stems when a third of the florets are open
Cut a spike in the cool morning when about a third to half of the florets at the base are open and the rest still show color. Put the stem in water at once, and keep it upright. A stem laid on its side bends at the tip and stays crooked in the vase. [4]
- Cut in the cool morning, when a third to half of the lower florets are open.
- Take as long a stem as the plant can spare, and stand it in clean water at once.
- Strip the leaves that would sit in the vase. Leave the tip on; snapping it off can help the upper buds open, but only after the stem is in water.
- Keep the bunch upright in the bucket and in the vase. Change the water every couple of days.
When do I cut snapdragon stems?
Cut when a third to half of the lower florets are open. Stand the stems in water at once so the tips do not bend.
Deadhead the next spent spike, and cut stems when a third of the florets are open.
FAQ
Do snapdragons come back every year?
They are a short-lived perennial often grown as a cool-season annual. In a mild-winter garden they may return for a few years. In a hard freeze, plant again in spring, or start seed in a tray.
Do you list Rocket or Madame Butterfly?
No. This catalog holds garden snapdragon. Named series still want cool sun and soil that drains. Dwarf kinds suit pots; tall kinds suit cutting.
What about rust?
Rust makes yellow spots and orange dust on the leaves. Give the plants sun and air, water at the base, and pull a badly spotted plant. Do not crowd a damp bed.
Can trailing kinds go in a hanging basket?
Yes. A trailing kind in a hanging basket wants the same draining mix and even water as a patio pot. Empty the saucer if you use one.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/antirrhinum-majus/ - [2] Clemson HGIC -
https://hgic.clemson.edu/snapdragons-for-fall-blooms/ - [3] University of Florida IFAS -
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP044 - [4] Johnny's Selected Seeds -
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/flowers/snapdragon/snapdragon-key-growing-information.html
This note is part of Antirrhinum Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors