Two Wests & Elliott's Gardening Guide To Growing Antirrhinums
When growing antirrhinums for your garden you will be spoilt for choice as they are available in a wide range of colours and sizes, from single colours through to multicoloured varieties, types with green foliage, variegated foliage through to types that have almost dark red to black leaves.
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As well as sizes, colours and foliage, you will also find different types of flowers amongst the variety of antirrhinums available to you. These include:
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Did You Know
The common name for the Antirrhinum is the Snapdragon and the reason it has this name is based on shape and action of the blossom, which is said to resemble a dragon. If you squeeze the ‘throat’ of the blossom it causes the ‘mouth’ of the blossom to ‘snap’ open … just like a dragon’s mouth!
The botanical name Antirrhinum is also made up from the Greek words ‘anti’ – which means ‘like’ – and ‘rhin’ – which means ‘a nose’, which is based on the shape of the blossom resembling a snout . . the snout of a dragon maybe?
When Growing Antirrhinums From Seed Which Varieties To Try
Antirrhinums are generally classed as a mid-height plant, however as there are about 40 different varieties available to select from, they can be divided into four basic types:
- Dwarf – approx. 6 inches in height
Examples of dwarf antirrhinums include Tom Thumb, Mini Butterflies, Magic Carpet - Trailing - perfect as ground cover or for window boxes or hanging baskets
Examples of trailing antirrhinums include Cascadia, Fruit Salad, Luminaire - Intermediate – between 12 to 16 inches in height
Examples of intermediate antirrhinums include Bronze Dragon, Rembrandt, Frosted Flames - Tall – up to 39 inches in height
Examples of tall antirrhinums include Appleblossom, Royal Bride, Axiom
Growing Antirrhinums Under Cover / Indoors
You can start to sow seeds for growing antirrhinums from February onwards – although you should always check the back of the seed packet for the supplier’s recommendation.
You can expect up to 21 days to pass from sowing the antirrhinum seeds through to the seedling stage, but to get this to happen you need to provide a germination temperature of approx. 16-18 degrees Celsius. The most reliable way to do this is to use a heated propagator – one with a thermostat which allows you to set the temperature you wish to achieve would be our recommendation.
Use seed trays filled with a good quality seed compost – ideally sieved to make sure there are no lumps – only slightly firmed and then sprayed with a mist sprayer to ensure the compost is moist. Then it’s time to sow the seeds.
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Antirrhinum seeds are extremely fine – very similar to Begonia seeds where approx. 60,000 seeds only weigh 1 gram! To make them easier to sow many gardeners will mix fine seeds like these with horticultural sand – by doing this you avoid getting clumps of seeds all together and it makes it easier for you to see where the seeds have been sown. |
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Once the seedlings have two good leaves they will be strong enough and large enough to transplant into small pots where they can grow until they are ready to plant outdoors.
Once the small plants have between four to six healthy leaves, pinch back to encourage more side branches to grow.
Did you know?
If you are an experienced gardener you will know all about pinching back plants, but if you are new to gardening you might not and it’s a really useful way to improve young plants to create strong and healthy full grown plants. ‘Pinching back’ is basically a simple type of pruning where you use your fingers to pinch the plant on its main stem above a set of two leaves and remove the section of the plant above . By doing this you are forcing the plant to grow new stems from the leaf nodes below the pinch. If you don’t want to do this using your fingers then use a compact pair of snips to make a clean cut, removing the top section of the plant.
Transplanting Your Growing Antirrhinums Outdoors
When your young antirrhinum plants are at least 3-4 inches in height and the chance of any frost has passed, you can get ready to transfer your plants outdoors into your garden. Remember, prior to planting out, acclimatise these young plants to the cooler outdoors environment by hardening them off over 7-10 days.
When deciding where to plant your antirrhinums you will get the best results if they are planted in soil with good drainage, has a neutral or slightly alkaline pH and in a sheltered area that gets full sun. If your garden doesn’t naturally have an area like this, then another option is to plant the antirrhinums in a container which enables you to have control of the soil it is grown in and lets you ensure the container provides good drainage.
Growing Antirrhinums In Your Garden Will Attract Beneficial Visitors
Sometimes referred to as ‘pollination powerhouses’ antirrhinums will not only make your garden look attractive, they will also attract pollinators into your garden, such as bumblebees, and as a result increase the production of many other plants in your garden.
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Experiments have been carried out that appear to indicate that antirrhinums which have either stripes or veins in their blossoms are the easiest ones for bumblebees to find in your garden. Big bumblebees are ideal for collecting pollen from these large flowers with their semi closed petals, although all pollinating insects will be attracted to antirrhinums. |
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Pests Attracted To Growing Antirrhinums
You will find that the common pests affecting antirrhinums are sap-sucking insects, including aphids, mealybugs, mites and whitefly. Their activity will result in the leaves being disfigured, and the flowers as well if they feed on the flower buds, and the overall vigour of the plants will reduce and these pests increase. So it's a case of spotting and identifying the pests as quickly as possible.
Aphids – these tiny insects will quickly multiply, damaging the plant’s leaves and stems by consuming the liquids in the plants and hindering their growth. If you see aphids on your antirrhinums you need to remove them as quickly as possible by removing affected parts of the plants and using a mix of dish soap and water to spray the plants.
Mites – the common sap-feeding two-spotted spider mites will cause mottled leaves and leaf loss and would need you to use pesticides or horticultural oils to protect your plants.
Mealybugs – found on the underside of leaves and at leaf axils, these tiny, oval-shaped, soft-bodied insects suck the sap from the plants and excrete a sticky white substance making the foliage sticky.
Whitefly – sucking the sap from your plants, whiteflies cause discolouration to leaves and release toxic substances into the plant which will make the plants weaker and affect their blossoms. The sticky substances they excrete will also enable fungi, such as sooty mould, to form, which in turn reduces the natural, healthy growth of the plants.
Diseases Affecting Growing Antirrhinums
Antirrhinums might be called snapdragons but this doesn’t mean that they are fierce against all diseases or pests. So we need to consider which diseases they could be affected by and here are some of the common ones:
Antirrhinum Rust – caused by airborne fungus spores, this disease tends to occur during wetter weather, so late spring and autumn. It causes pale yellow spots on the upper surface of the antirrhinum leaves, which then turn brown and the leaves will eventually shrivel. If you find this happening then there are only two courses of action – remove the affected leaves or affected plants but make sure no parts are left on the soil – or use a fungicide that will kill or prevent the growth of fungus spores.
Powdery Mildew – leaving a white, powdery fungal growth on the leaf surface of your antirrhinums, if you see this on your plants remove the affected leaves as soon as you see them. This disease is caused by incorrect watering – getting the leaves wet whilst the plant roots remain dry.
Botrytis Blight – another fungal disease, plants affected will have their petals turn brown and become covered with a gray, fungal growth. This is another disease caused by dampness – so planting with sufficient space around plants, correct watering etc. should help to prevent this. When found the cure is to use a fungicide or remove the effected parts of the plants.
Antirrhinums / Snapdragons Colour Meanings
With more than 40 kinds of antirrhinums known, they can be found in a rainbow of colours, from pastels to bright colours, and many of the colours have been given meanings. Here is what we have discovered:
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- Purple Antirrhinums – spirituality.
Antirrhinums / Snapdragon Symbolism
Antirrhinum is the botanical name for what is usually referred to as Snapdragons and it is their harsh native habitat – they are native to rocky areas of the Mediterranean, North Africa, Canada and the United States – combined with their tall, upright growing habit, durable and sturdy stems, have resulted in them symbolizing grace and strength.
One of the uses of snapdragons through history is that they have been used to ward off evil, whether a deception or a curse – it’s said that in Germany these flowers were hung above a baby’s bed to ward off evil spirits . . . even witches! Whilst history has also seen snapdragons in homes to provide divine protection for the residents.
Top Tip
We highly recommend that you take a look at the dried seed pods of a snapdragon . . . they resemble tiny little human skulls!! This might be one of the reasons that historically they were used to ward off evil spirits.
However, folklore says that these vibrant flowers radiate positive energy and cheer, and it is this that wards of evil spirits that might try to harm you.
Snapdragons have also been often associated with deceit . . . this could be due to the shape of the flowers which have a ‘mouth-like’ appearance and often conceal insects from sight.
Folklore has also seen snapdragon flowers concealed in a person’s pocket or purse . . . with the aim of the person using the energy of the flower to make them appear more charming and appealing to others.
Our growing antirrhinums guide has been created from our personal knowledge, information gathered by speaking to other gardeners or manufacturers in the gardening industry, by reading gardening magazines and devouring information from books and the internet. We aim to be as accurate as we can, so if you find a mistake, please remember, we’re only human. if you have any queries you can contact us today!