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OrAntirrhinum majus
"The Latin name of the Snapdragon translates, more or less, as "like a nose". The reference applies to the tube-like flowers that open when squeezed reminding some of a dragon opening its mouth" - R.E. Mitchell,
Antirrhinum majus, the Snapdragon, is an herbaceous annual that is a member of the Scrophulariaceae - or figwort family. Christman (2002) suggests that there exists hundreds of Snapdragon cultivars that generally fall into one of five categories including Tall (growing 2-3 ft. in height), Intermediate (growing 1-2 ft. in height), Short (growing 9-12 inches in height), Dwarf (growing 4-9 inches in height), and the Trailing variety (growing up to .25 inches in height). Dwarf cultivars include: 'Floral Carpet,' Floral Showers', 'Kolibri', 'Royal Carpet,' and 'Tahiti' while Intermediate cultivars include 'Princess', 'Liberty', 'Sonnet', 'Pixie', 'Sprite', and 'Cinderella'. Tall cultivars include 'Panorama', 'Burpee's Topper', 'Spring Giant', and 'Rocket'.
Typical flower colors for the Snapdragon are yellow, white, pink, orange, salmon, lavender and purple with the color blue rarely being seen in the state of Florida. Being conducive to the conditions of the USDA hardiness zones including 7 through 11, the Snapdragon can be planted between February through December based upon the zone. For instance, in Florida, which encompasses zones 8 through 11, the Snapdragon can be planted in accordance to the following schedule:
Zone 8 - February, March, October, November or December.
Zone 9 - February, October, November or December.
Zones 10 & 11 - February, November or December.
Native originally to North Africa, Spain and along the Mediterranean into Italy, the Snapdragon prefers full sun to lightly shaded areas, and well-drained soil high in organic matter.
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