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Flower Index Index by Family Set 1 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6

Antirrhinum majus | Snapdragon, Dragon Flowers

Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family) Pronounced Plant-tage-in-aye-see-eye

Pronounced An-tih-RYE-num MAY-jus

The name Antirrhinum is from the Greek words "anti" for "like" and "rhis" for nose or snout.

The Plantain family makes me think of a banana, but it is not related.

Snapdragons were my Grandma Geile's favorite flower. She loved to squeeze them together and make them talk. Her favorite corsage, however, was a Gardenia. She loved ow Gardenia smelled.

It seems the common name is as such because the flower looks like a dragon that talks. I never see it as a dragon, but I suppose it could be. I have read it called "two-lipped dragon" flowers and that makes me laugh. It also makes me laugh to consider that these flowers "snap" at people rather than to speak in a gentle voice. They must really have something to say! Or maybe the dragons are snapping a bite out of you. No, not really.

Snapdragons are annuals that are purchased in nurseries or started by seed. The like the full sun, tolerate drought, and benefit from deadheading to encourage new blooms.

Flower colors include white, yellow, orange, red, purple, pink, and multicolor.

Dwarf varieties are 6 to 9 inches high. Short varieties are 9 to 12 inches tall. Intermediate varieties are 12 to 24 inches high. Tall varieties are 24 to 36 inches tall.

The flowers are used as cut flowers, especially the taller varieties.

The flowers are non-toxic.

Snapdragons can reseed and come back the next year. If planting from a seed packet, it is best to put them in the refrigerator on a wet paper towel for a few weeks before planting in the ground, unless the seeds are put down in the Autumn.

Here's a new word! The cup (corolla) is zygomorphic! That's just fun to say! It means that the cup is symmetric (mirrors each side) on a line (axis, plane). The alternative is an "actinomorphic" flower that has a radial symmetry, that being the plane or axis is in different directions (like the hands on a clock move in different directions) and has multiple mirrored sections. Asymmetric is when the flower is not mirrored any direction.

There is a new variety of Snapdragons called "candy showers" which is a trailing flower great for hanging baskets and containers.

2024