Snapdragons are an all time fall favorite flower around San Antonio. The cheerful blooms of snapdragons can quickly add colorful interest to your annual gardens or your container gardens. Snapdragons are pollinator attractors and provide gorgeous interest both fall and spring (generally going dormant inbetween through winter).

Did you know that we carry multiple varieties of snapdragons at Rainbow Gardens? We think every home needs a dose of sprightly snapdragons so we’ve made sure to bring in an assortment of snapdragons for you to find the perfect variety to suit your gardening needs. If you thought all snapdragons are one in the same, today we’ve got some great news for you!

4 Varieties of Snapdragons for Fall Planting in San Antonio

1. Sonnet Snapdragons

Sonnet snapdragons grow to an intermediate height of about 18-22 inches and a width of about 8-10 inches. Sonnet snapdragons are ideal choices for the center of a large potted arrangement or as a focal point in an annual bed. Blooms on snapdragons attract butterflies and bees, making them great additions to your pollinator gardens for both fall and spring. Intermediate varieties like these Sonnet snapdragons are bred to be quite disease resistant.

2. Liberty Snapdragons

Liberty snapdragons generally grow to heights of about 18-22 inches and widths of about 10-12 inches. These intermediate snapdragons are able to still be quite “showy” without the need for worrying that the wind is going to knock them over. As mentioned before, snapdragons generally go dormant over the coldest winter days and burst forth again in spring. Snapdragons can be quite cold hardy if kept adequately watered, but can suffer some damage at 32°. Mulching helps to regulate soil temperatures in both winter when it is cold and summer when it is hot.

3. Rocket Snapdragons

Rocket snapdragons are one of the taller varieties of snapdragons, growing up to 3 feet tall and 16-18 inches wide. What a show these vibrant beauties can put on as backdrops for your annual gardens. You could fill in the front of the bed with shorter varieties of snapdragons for a stunning display of mass planting, or fill in the front bed with other fall annuals like pansies, Johnny Jump Ups, or cyclamen. Rocket snapdragons make excellent, long-lasting, cut flowers and are often field-grown for that purpose. Strong winds can knock them over so make plans to tie up or stake Rocket snapdragons if needed. Planting intermediate snapdragons in front of Rocket snapdragons can help block the wind.

4. Snapshot Snapdragons

Snapshot snapdragons are some of our smallest snapdragons available, growing only 6-10 inches tall and 10 inches wide. These snapdragons are perfect specimens for the front borders of annual gardens or planted in smaller containers. Snapshot snapdragons are some of the earliest snapdragons to flower, but this does not mean that they fade out earlier. Snapshots keep their blooms coming all fall until the coldest of winter days.

Planting Conditions for Snapdragons

• Most annuals love soils rich with organic matter and snapdragons are the same. Amend garden beds with compost and peat moss to offer nutrients and to create a well-draining environment for snapdragons which need moist but not soggy soil.

• Plant snapdragons where they can receive full sun. Snapdragons are tolerant of a little light shade, but you will find they bloom best in the sun.

• Offer spacing of about 6 to 12 inches between plants in the garden bed.

• Pinching snapdragons back helps to create a fuller, bushier form of plant. Cutting flower stalks for indoor arrangements will also encourage more blooms to follow.

• Snapdragons will usually fade out once the heat of summer rolls in, but many gardeners have been able to keep plants alive through summer for future fall blooms by cutting stalks back and keeping the area well-watered.

We hope you decide to give snapdragons a try in your landscape this fall. With the multiple varieties of snapdragons we have available at Rainbow Gardens, we are positive there is a perfect spot for one of them at your home!

~The Happy Gardener, Lisa Mulroy