Antirrhinum majus
Snapdragon, dog flower, lion's mouth, calf's snout: all these names describe the same childhood game, which consists of squeezing the sides of the flower to make its “mouth” open and close. This mechanism is no accident: only bumblebees, which are heavy and powerful enough, can force their way into the corolla to collect its nectar.
Characteristics:
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Two-lipped flowers: corolla swollen at the base, resembling an open mouth, borne on upright spikes in a variety of colors.
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Delicate perennial: perennial in Mediterranean climates (down to -5 °C), it is most often grown as an annual elsewhere.
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Versatile: flower beds, wildflower meadows, patio or balcony containers, and an excellent cut flower.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: sunny; it tolerates light partial shade.
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Soil: undemanding and ordinary, but it must be well drained and preferably alkaline. Waterlogging in winter is fatal well before the cold. No fertilization is needed.
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Method: sow in pots under cover from February to March, on the surface without covering: the very fine seeds need light to germinate. Transplant after the frosts. Pinch out young plants to encourage branching. See how to sow your seeds.
Care advice:
- Water regularly in dry weather, avoiding excess water that could cause the roots to rot.
- Cut faded flower stems back at the base to trigger a second wave of flowering in late summer.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its closed flower is a true biological lock: only large bumblebees can open it, making it an almost exclusive and valuable resource for them.
- Its long flowering period, from spring until the frosts, spreads resources throughout the season.
Uses:
- An excellent cut flower with a long vase life: harvest the stem when the lower third of the flowers is open.
Harvesting your own seeds:
The ripe capsules take on the remarkable shape of a small skull punctured with holes: leave them to brown on the plant, then turn the stem upside down over a bag to release the seeds. Snapdragons also readily self-seed. See how to store your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Volcanoes of Auvergne, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to sow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Add the colorful vertical structure of snapdragons to your summer flower beds and bouquets.
