By Bodie Pennisi
University of
Georgia
Summer snapdragon, Angelonia angustifolia, is one of the hottest new summer annuals on the market today. Landscape professionals and horticulturists are raving about its heat and drought tolerance, extended bloom period and performance in the landscape. Better Homes and Gardens magazine listed it as one of the Top 20 Annuals of 2008.The flowers of summer snapdragon look a lot like those of its cousin, the winter snapdragon. However, summer snapdragon likes summer heat, not winter cold. Native to Mexico and the West Indies, summer snapdragon overwinters in most of Florida, but is best treated as an annual north of the Florida border.
Summer snapdragons are available in a wide range of colors, including white, rose, lilac, violet, blue and many shades in between. Some cultivars have speckled or bicolor flowers. Flowering occurs over an eight- to 10-week period in summer, peaking in June and July. In coastal Georgia, well-established plants have been shown to overwinter.
Plants have a bushy growth habit and reach 18 to 24 inches tall. They are quite vigorous and may flop over in late summer. If this happens, cut them back to stimulate new growth and additional blooms in the fall.
Its flower spikes have about a dozen flowers, each approximately an inch across. They open in sequence from the bottom of the spike upward. The flowers hold up well in floral arrangements.
Plant summer snapdragon in full sun and well-drained soil. Set plants 12 inches apart. Or, grow them in patio containers.
Summer snapdragons look particularly nice when grown with plants with gray leaves, like wormwood, silver plectranthus or lamb’s ear.
A slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote incorporated into soil at planting time will ensure uniform growth. Supplement the granular fertilizer with liquid feed as needed to keep the plants looking their best. Let the plants dry out between watering times, but be prepared to provide supplemental irrigation during dry spells.
Summer snapdragon can be grown from seed, summer tip cuttings or division of the root mass.
(Bodie Pennisi is a Cooperative Extension horticulturist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
