2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Antirrinum sometimes also called snapdragon. Actually, translated from Greek, the official name of this flower is translated as "resembling a nose." The flower owes this name to the amazing similarity in the shape of the petals and the animal's face. The genus itself, called antirrinum, includes about fifty plants that belong to the norichnik family. This flower can be found in America, Asia and Africa. In culture, the so-called large antirrinum is grown, and on its basis a great many varieties of this amazing plant have been obtained.
In countries with a very warm climate, this plant is perennial, but in Russia antirrinum is grown exclusively as an annual plant. It is worth noting that plant varieties differ very significantly from each other in the very size of the plants. Large varieties are distinguished, the height of which can be up to one meter, medium-sized plants will not exceed sixty centimeters, undersized - thirty-five centimeters, and there are also dwarf varieties, the height of which ranges from fifteen to twenty-five centimeters. Depending on the variety, this flower can have completely different colors: purple, multi-colored, white, red, pink. Only blue and blue antirrinums do not exist. The flowers will be double-lipped in shape, and they will bloom one by one in inflorescences, starting from the bottom. These flowers will retain their original appearance for a couple of weeks, and then these flowers should be removed.
Growing and caring for antirrinum
Growing by means of antirrinum seedlings will give flowering in June, which will last until the first frost, subject to full compliance with the rules for caring for the plant. This flower will look great in a variety of flower beds, and if you plant a mixture of various antirrinum flowers in one place, you get an amazingly bright and colorful composition that any even the most experienced gardener and florist can envy.
Dwarf varieties of this flower are most often used in rocky gardens, but tall varieties are considered optimal for the background of plantings, as well as for making bouquets. If you plan to cut these flowers, then you should pick up those inflorescences that have not yet bloomed. Actually, in a bouquet, these flowers can be preserved in their original form for two weeks, and all flowers will open gradually.
In the event that all the planting rules were followed, this flower practically does not need any special care. For planting, you should choose a sunny place on an area where there will be light, drained fertile soils. It is noteworthy that antirrinum is able to endure frost even if the temperature does not drop below minus five degrees Celsius.
Reproduction of antirrinum occurs through seeds. In this case, it is permissible to grow seeds through seedlings, and simply plant them directly in open ground. If the plant was grown by seedlings, then the antirrinum will begin to bloom in the month of July. Sowing seeds should start from the first half of March. Antirrinum seeds are very small, so they should be mixed with sand and then placed in a box with moistened soil. The optimum temperature for high-quality seedlings and subsequent seed growth is considered to be from fifteen to eighteen degrees. The first shoots appear after about ten days, but sometimes this can occur after a week. In mid-May, seedlings should be planted in the ground, while the distance between flowers should be at least fifteen centimeters.
If you plan to plant seeds directly in the ground, then this should be done in the second half of April, and you will also need to cover this area with a film.
Loosening, weeding and moderate watering - this should be the care of antirrinum. It is recommended to remove faded flowers, which will greatly contribute to a more abundant flowering of antirrinum.
