Overview: These snout-like dragon-shaped flowers are perfect for your garden and come in almost every color in a saturated hue.
Snapdragons, also known as Antirrhinum majus, are common garden flowers in the cool season. They can easily grow in most gardens but do not last long. Snapdragons have a definitive shape to the flower head, “which resembles the snout of a dragon, and which even opens and close in a snapping motion, as often happens when pollinators open the jaws to reach the pollen” (The Spruce- Snapdragons: Plant Care & Growing Guide, By Marie Iannotti). Bumble bees are the prime source of pollination because they can open the flower’s jaws. Snapdragons can be only a few inches tall but can also sprout up to about 4 feet tall. They are typically purchased in seedlings because they have a long start-up process when planted from the original seed.
Conditions For Snapdragons: They need to be planted in a moist, well-drained area. They can receive full to partial sun and they typically will only sprout in the cool spring and fall only if kept hydrated throughout the hot summer months. Snapdragons need lots of water to keep moist and a pretty neutral soil ph level of around 6-7.
Other Uses: Snapdragons are not only pretty flowers in your garden pots or dried-up in-home decor, but they also have beneficial uses for humans. They extract edible oils that are known to be anti-inflammatory for the skin and body as well as used in modern herbal medicines “for treating several symptoms and diseases, including watery eyes, gum scurvy, hemorrhoids, ulcers, liver disorder, and tumors” (Source: National Library of Medicine)
