Virtues: The Snaptini series of snapdragons bring you a classic, old-favorite flower but on a more compact plant. The short stature of the Snaptini varieties makes it easy to include these annuals in window boxes, mixed containers and at the front of the garden bed. These snapdragons also have very strong stems, so they resist breaking. Both their short size and their strong stems means no staking is required. Finally, Snaptini varieties were bred to be less dependent on day length to trigger flowering. That means that they bloom even in the shorter days of early spring and late fall, and even in the winter in mild climates.
Common name: Snaptini snapdragon
Botanical name: Antirrhinum majus Snaptini series
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Flowers: Snapdragons produce upright flowering stalks lined with two-lipped blossoms. The Snaptini series comprises these descriptively named varieties: Burgundy Bicolor, Peach, Red, Rose Bicolor, Scarlet, Sunglow (crimson with yellow throat), Violet, White and Yellow. Flowers appear in early spring. Flowering may cease when temperatures rise above the high 70s, but if you keep the plants watered through summer they will likely come back into bloom when temperatures drop back in the fall.
Foliage: Long, narrow deep green leaves.
Habit: Snaptini snapdragons have a mounded growth habit reaching six to eight inches tall and wide.
How to grow it: Plant Snaptini snapdragons in full sun to part shade in well-draining soil. Siting them where they will receive full sun during the cooler months of spring but some shade during the heat of summer (such as near deciduous trees) can help them rebound with flowering in the fall. They appreciate regular watering. Snapdragons are hardy in USDA Zones 7–10, but they are typically grown as an annual. Where they are hardy, they may overwinter and offer a very early bloom the following winter/spring.
