Snapdragons or dragon flowers are also known as Antirrhinum are medicinal plants. They are beautiful and they do attract butterflies and other beneficial pollinators, but they are so much more. I didn’t really see them as anything more than an annual until the snow storm that shook Texas- my snapdragons survived. I was shocked.
Never in a million years did I think that these beautiful flowers would have survived but they started popping up. It made me realize that I wanted to plant more. When I originally bought the first snap dragons on sale I didn’t think about if it had any medicinal uses. I only thought about how beautiful the blooms of the flower are.
The leaves and flowers are said to have anti-inflammatory properties and has been used on wounds. I am amazed that this beautiful flower can also be so beneficial. It also adds a certain amount of beautiful color that draws in butterflies and other pollinators. I am really happy because I feel as though I have seen more active pollinators since I have added these flowers than any other. It may be because my more fragrant plants attract the pollinators and they swoop in to show them they light at the end of the tunnel. I have no idea, but I do know that snapdragons have positively impacted my landscape.
Snapdragons bloom in spring and in the fall. They are a lovely addition to any garden, border or container. I saw pictures in my research where they were growing out of brick walls. That makes me hopeful that I won’t kill these beautiful flowering plants. I really want to keep them.
They do not deter deer or rabbits but they aren’t their favorite food either. Snapdragons are just all around an amazing color fixture in gardens and I appreciate what they will add to our food forest. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to keep them in full sun and it was mentioned that they bloom better the first year and then it slowly becomes fewer and fewer. This is a short lived perennial and I don’t expect that any single plant will last longer than three to four years.
After that we will be relying on the plants to naturally reseed.
I wish I had more information for everyone, but I don’t. I do enjoy planting things and I enjoy plantings things that are beneficial, have amazing color and are hardy to my area. I cannot wait to see what the plant does to the scenery of our property.
Until next time
Toad's Permaculture 