The illustrated growing guide
Snapdragon
Antirrhinum majus
Family Plantaginaceae
Est. zones 2-11
Plant with pansies logic: spring glory, summer nap, fall encore through several hard frosts. Kids still can't resist snapping the dragon jaws — that never gets old.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Moderate growth
Attracts beesI
Overview
Will snapdragon suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what snapdragon actually needs.
Life cycleTender perennial, grown as an annualSnapdragon at a glance
Common snapdragon problems
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow snapdragon: light, water & soil
When to spray snapdragon
Growing season. Rust-resistant varieties; water at the base.
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The year
What snapdragon asks for, month by month.
The snapdragon year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The snapdragon year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar bloom
- Apr bloom
- May bloom
- Jun quiet month
- Jul bloom
- Aug quiet month
- Sep bloom
- Oct bloom
- Nov bloom
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Snapdragon in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer annual
- Hosts Common buckeye butterfly
What snapdragon is grown for
✓ Commonly eaten
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of snapdragon, ruled as a catalogue.
Best snapdragon varieties & cultivars
'Rocket' (cutting, 3 ft); 'Sonnet' (bedding); 'Madame Butterfly' (azalea-flowered)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to snapdragonyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Snapdragon questions, answered straight.
Is snapdragon safe for kids and pets?
Snapdragon is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
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Elsewhere
Where snapdragon sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily