How to Grow Snapdragon
Snapdragon At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Tender
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -7°C
Plant Family
Plantaginaceae
Growing Season
Cool & Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Sow outdoors about 1 week after your last spring frost. Scatter the dust-fine seeds on the soil and press them in without covering them, since they need light to sprout. Keep the surface damp, because they sprout slowly, in 10 to 21 days. Thin them (pull the extras so each has room) to about 15 cm apart.
Snapdragons get their name from flowers that open and close like a little dragon's mouth when you gently squeeze their sides. They grow slowly at first, then bloom from midsummer until after the first light frosts, since they like cool weather. For the longest show in a short summer, the indoor head start is worth the effort.
When To Start
First chance to plant
7 Days After Last Frost
Last chance to plant
30 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Snapdragon?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Snapdragon Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Snapdragon Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow snapdragon seeds outdoors on the soil surface
1 week after your last frost· every year
Optional: start snapdragons indoors, seeds uncovered
9 weeks before your last frost· every year· optional
Plant indoor snapdragons out, they handle light frost
1 week before your last frost· every year· optional
Cut snapdragon spikes often for more flowers
60 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your snapdragon seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Time to thin the snapdragon seedlings: snip the extras at soil level so each one has room to grow.
About 31 days after you plant it
Your snapdragons are on their way! Pinch the top once plants have a few sets of leaves for more flower stems.
About 44 days after you plant it
Hi there! Cut snapdragon blooms often to keep new ones coming.
About 68 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your snapdragon.
About 70 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Snapdragon's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 10–21 days
Growing Tips
- 1Give snapdragons full sun, at least 6 hours a day, for the strongest stems and the most flowers.
- 2Plant them in well-drained soil with a little compost mixed in.
- 3Water at the base about once a week, more in dry spells, and keep the leaves dry.
- 4Feed with compost tea or worm castings once a month while they bloom.
- 5When the plants are about 10 cm tall, pinch off the top just above a pair of leaves so they branch into more flower spikes, and give tall types a stake.
- 6Rust (orange powdery spots under the leaves) is their main problem, so give them room for air to move and pull off spotted leaves right away.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~70
Days to Maturity
90 cm
Mature Height
30 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
30 days
When to Pick
Cut blooms when fully open
How to Harvest
- 1For the vase, cut a spike when the bottom third of its flowers are open and the top is still in bud.
- 2Cut the stem low, just above a pair of leaves, so new side spikes grow from there.
- 3Put the stems in cool water right away, and they last about a week.
- 4In the garden, snip off faded spikes to keep new ones coming.
- 5If the plants slow down in the heat of midsummer, cut them back by a third, and they bloom again when the nights cool down.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Snapdragons are pollinated by bumblebees and cross with other snapdragons nearby, so for seed that grows true, grow only one variety. Hybrid F1 seeds will not grow true. Leave a few spikes to fade on the plant and wait until the seed pods turn brown and dry, when they look like tiny skulls. Cut the spikes into a paper bag and shake out the dust-fine seeds through the small holes in each pod. Store them in a labelled envelope somewhere cool, dark and dry, where they keep for a few years.
Seed Production
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