Snapdragon

Common Name: snapdragon
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Plantaginaceae
Native Range: Southwestern Europe
Zone: 7 to 10
Height: 1.00 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 0.50 to 1.00 feet
Bloom Time: April to frost
Bloom Description: White, yellow, pink, red, orange, peach, purple plus bicolor
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Suggested Use: Annual
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer

Short-lived tender perennial that is winter hardy to USDA Zones 7-10. In St. Louis, it is usually grown as an annual. It is easily grown in moist, organically rich, well-drained soils in full sun. Avoid overhead watering. Start seeds indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost date or purchase starter plants. Set out plants/seedlings after last frost date. Pinch stem tips of young plants to promote bushiness and prevent leggy growth. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom. If flowering slows drastically after the first flush of bloom, consider cutting plants back hard and fertilizing. Although well-mulched plants in protected locations may overwinter in St. Louis and although cuttings may be taken in fall for overwintering, snapdragons are inexpensive plants that are perhaps best repurchased each spring. Nurseries commonly sell plants in cell/six packs. Always purchase fungal resistant plants/seeds. Snapdragons, like pansies, are often planted in fall south of USDA Zone 7 where they will not only survive the winter, but will bloom as long as temperatures stay above freezing.

For more information visit: Missouri Botanical Garden