Plant record

Snapdragon

Antirrhinum majus

Snapdragons carry spring like a secret. They are worth the early start when you want flowers before summer takes over.

Rankspeciesreviewed
GenusAntirrhinumPlantaginaceae
Species anchorAntirrhinum majusThis record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.
Library score92/100deep plant record

Garden timing

Start indoors 8 to 12 weeks before last frost; surface sow.

Transplant in cool weather after hardening off.

Space-saving method: grow with stake support.

Plant intelligence

Use short series in bed squares and tall cutting series where support is already planned.

cut flowerpollinatoredge plant

Lifecycle: annual

Habit: cool-season spike flower

Height: 12-48 inches

Spread: 6-12 inches

Germination: 7-14 days

Sow depth: 0 inches

Bloom: spring, early summer, fall

Attracts: bumblebees

Record score

92/100deep plant record
Taxonomy confidence94Antirrhinum majus in Plantaginaceae; 2 cached source references.
Square-foot usefulness921 per square with stake support.
Timing and care depth922 planting windows, 45F minimum soil, 2 cautions.
Species and variety drill-down1003 variety or cultivar options attached.
Annual flower intelligence90moderate pollinator value.
Source readiness82Ready for 4 external lookup paths.

Species identity

This record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.

ScientificAntirrhinum majusFamilyPlantaginaceaeLookup namesSnapdragon, Antirrhinum majus, garden snapdragon

Garden decision matrix

Square-foot fit1 per square
92Use short series in bed squares and tall cutting series where support is already planned. Support: stake.
Season behaviorsemi-hardy
92Indoor start. Transplant. One main planting.
Care loadmoderate water
74Slow from seed. Tall cutting types need netting or stakes. Soil minimum 45F.
Bed ecosystem rolecut flower, pollinator
90moderate pollinator value; white, pink, yellow, red.
Variety depth3 options
100Tall florist series are not the same as compact bedding snaps; choose by height first.

Species and variety notes

Tall florist series are not the same as compact bedding snaps; choose by height first.

Twinnyseries
86small-bed fit

A better fit where the square-foot bed needs flowers but not height.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: match timing and spacing to the rest of the bed.

compact, double bloom, container friendly90-110 days10-14 inches tall
Madame Butterflyseries
62small-bed fit

A beautiful cutting snapdragon that needs an early start.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: needs edge placement or support so it does not shade smaller crops.

cut flower, double bloom, tall100-120 days28-36 inches tall
Rocketseries
62small-bed fit

A sturdy spike for rows or supported bed edges.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: needs edge placement or support so it does not shade smaller crops.

tall, cut flower, strong stems100-120 days30-42 inches tall

Companions

lettuce, onion, calendula, sweet-alyssum

Cautions

Slow from seed.

Tall cutting types need netting or stakes.

External enrichment

Cached name: Antirrhinum majus. Optional lookups can compare GBIF, iNaturalist, Perenual, and Trefle without changing the reviewed garden record.

Open enrichment JSON

Data layers

FVF reviewed cachecachedSpacing, timing, variety, companion, and FVF notes used by the planner.
GBIF and iNaturalistlive no-keyNo-key taxonomy, common-name, and community context checks through the enrichment route.
USDA PLANTS downloadsreferencePeriodic identity, distribution, native status, and conservation reference layer.
Perenual or Trefleoptional keyOptional species images, care data, cultivar/synonym cleanup, then cache only reviewed fields.

API source score

Perenual API88/100optional key: Flower and ornamental drill-down, plant photos, care flags, toxicity, bloom data. Limit: Requires an API key and plan-aware caching, so it should enrich records without blocking the app.
Trefle API84/100optional key: Scientific names, subspecies, varieties, hybrids, synonyms, and broader botanical cleanup. Limit: Requires a token and should be treated as a reviewed import layer, not a live page dependency.
USDA PLANTS downloads82/100download cache: Standard names, plant symbols, distribution, native status, and conservation flags. Limit: Best consumed as periodic downloaded data instead of one-off runtime requests.
GBIF Species API78/100live public: Accepted scientific names, synonyms, family/genus cleanup, and occurrence context. Limit: Not a gardening advice source; pair it with local square-foot growing data.
iNaturalist taxa API72/100live public: Common-name discovery, taxon IDs, and regional biodiversity context. Limit: Observation data is not the same thing as garden suitability or crop timing.

USDA PLANTS Database

Plant identity, taxonomy, nativity, and conservation flags.

Source reference

GBIF Species API

Accepted scientific names, taxonomy matching, and occurrence context.

Source reference

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