How to grow tall snapdragons for cut flowers
(Antirrhinum majus) aka Snaps
Snapdragons add a voluptuous vertical element to bouquets, usually in late spring and again in late summer to fall. It’s quite easy to grow snapdragons, even from seed. I’ll show you how.
They’re often considered as annuals or tender perennials, or even as bedding plants. In harsher winters they’re usually grown as an annual. But in milder winter areas they grow as a perennial, though they may be short-lived. And there are many varieties and colors of tall snapdragons you can grow for cutting flowers.
An extra benefit: flowers are loved by native bumblebees and hummingbirds. And they’re edible! Plus, you’ll learn a fun little fact about snapping dragon flowers, and how they get their name, below. ↓
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Snapdragon flowers and plants
Snapdragons, often referred to as snaps, come in a wide range of colors, from white to warm-toned pastels, to deep reds, pinks, and bicolored flowers. The snapdragon flowers are divided into upper and lower jaw-like lobes that open when ready for pollination. Bumblebees love them.
They bloom in early spring, slow down in summer, and bloom some more in late summer and fall. The flowers bloom from the bottom up.
When harvested and conditioned, their vase-life is 7-10 days. When harvested, if the cut stem is left a few inches tall, it will send up several shorter flowering stems shortly after.
Several varieties of flower shapes have been developed: some with double flowers and some with azalea-shaped flower, and more. I prefer the simple ones. They can look like stately dragons in the garden and are more accessible for bumblebees.
How to grow snapdragons
Zones 7-11 as a perennial, though usually a short-lived perennial
Zone 6 and below grow as an annual, but you may have some plants overwinter if you have some milder winters. (Find your zone if you don’t know it.)
Full sun to part shade.
They like good, well-drained garden soil. Regular watering.
The easiest way to get the prettiest and the tallest snapdragons is to select the varieties and colors you like best and grow them from seed. There are many seed sources available. But if you find a specialty nursery, you may be able to get excellent starts to buy to save you time. I list a couple sources below.
My preference is to start from seed. Snapdragon seeds are tiny and by seeding into my seed flats I have more control over their care so they’re protected from anything that might come along and eat them or crush them while they’re so tiny.
Since they take 3½ to 4 months to bloom, they need to be started in their seed flats nice and early. Start your seeds about 8-10 weeks before you want to plant them out. You should plant them out right around or right after the last frost date for your location. If not, you’ll get your flowers in the late summer to fall.
Do your best to sow just 2 or 3 seeds per cell. The seeds need light to germinate. Drop a couple or few seeds and “rake” them with your finger. This way they’ll be slightly covered with soil so they stay put when getting watered.
Thin after they emerge. (To thin, use your fingernails or small trimming clippers to cut, rather than pull, the removal plant at, or close, to the soil surface. This eliminates root disturbance to the remaining plant.)
If you’re patient and want more flower stems but later in the season, you can pinch the plants back by half when they are 3-4 in. tall. Plants can be spaced in the garden at 4- 12 in. unpinched, or 6-12 in. if pinched.
Use a tomato cage for the tall varieties to keep stems off the ground, just in case.
How to harvest snapdragons
Snaps can be cut and conditioned as usual. Note: they can even be harvested after the first frosts! So even though they come in late the first year, they produce over a long period anyway.
When you cut them you can leave several inches of stem behind and those will soon sprout several new flowering stems soon, though they’ll be much shorter.
When you cut your snaps and put them in water, their tops tend to lean to the side. They straighten out once you have them in their final arrangements so that they reach upward. It may take a day.
Favorite snapdragon varieties
The Potomac series are 40-60 in. tall! They come in a wide variety colors. This variety is my favorite. (See sources below.)
Madame Butterfly varieties are the double petaled types, also called the azalea types, 24-36 in. tall.
Costa is 40-60 in. and blooms about 5 days earlier than Potomac.
Rocket has been the long time garden standard, they grow to 24-36 in.
Sources for snapdragon plants and seeds
When you find snapdragons at a nursery, be sure to check the heights they’ll grow to. Most often the nursery plants are shorter for bedding plants, but they’re fine for short bouquets.
To grow tall snapdragons for cutting, you can find some from a specialty source listed below, or start them from seed.
Plants
Annie’s Annuals & Perennials: they haves a tall pretty peach snap.
GrowJoy.com: they have a few varieties, tow of rocket.
Seeds
Johnny’s Seeds: they have a huge selection!
Urban Farmer: they have great selection, but many are dwarf, so read the descriptions carefully.
Special info on snapdragon flowers
The snapping dragons: Have you wondered why these fluffy, pretty flowers have “dragon” in their name? Well, remember those jaw-like lobes of petals I mentioned earlier? Put your fingers behind each side of the jaw of one ripe flower, gently squeeze the sides of the jaw hinge, and watch the mouth open fiercely… you’ll need to supply the sound effects, but you can imagine the dragon. You’ll get the full effect if the flower is fully mature, featuring fangs and a hairy tongue. Practice your ventriloquist dragon roar to scare the kids!
When it’s done roaring, let go of the jaws and they snap back (silently 🙁 ).
Eat them: Snapdragon flowers are edible! You can add these flowers to your salads, appetizers, and sandwiches. They’re not as fruity tasting as they might look like they’d be. They’re on the bitter side. But when you think about how we add bitter greens, radish sprouts, and onions to foods, these can fit right in with that application… but they’ll be much prettier!
Flowers to go with snapdragons
Painted Daisies
Nice big daisies in shades of pink to whites go nicely with snapdragon flowers in late spring.
Alstroemerias
These flowers start their bloom when snapdragons do. They’re as tall as them and bloom in fall, too.
Agrostemma
These long stemmed, late spring bloomers make a nice filler effect for snapdragons, both in flower and in bud.
Yarrow
‘Moonshine ‘ yarrow is a early bright yellow flower that blooms along with snapdragons.
Peach-Leafed Bellflower
These flowers start their bloom just before snaps. They’re as tall as them and last as long.
Persian Cress
Great for tall greenery with snaps and tall peach-leafed bellflowers.