The doggy flower, or snapdragon, is named so because of the similarity of the shape with the muzzle of a dog, which can open its mouth. This beautiful flower is popular with gardeners for decorating flowerbeds and borders, as well as arranging bouquets.
Snapdragon Description
The scientific name of the dog flower is antirrhinum (in Latin Antirrhinum), this perennial plant belongs to the herbaceous type of the plantain family and includes about 50 species. Its distribution area is the countries of Europe with a warm climate and North America.
Plants can consist of one or several stems with branches, inflorescences are racemose up to 60 cm in size, flowers are large. There are species of snapdragons with different stem heights, from dwarf to giant (about 1 m). Green shoots form pyramid-shaped bushes, the leaves are elongated oval and light or dark green with reddish veins.
The color of the antirrinum depends on the variety: shades of red and raspberry, pink, golden, yellow and white, as seen in the photo of the “doggie” flowers. There is no only blue andblue color. The process of blooming a flower is interesting: they open from the bottom up, with 2 flowers every 6 days. The flowering time of each is up to 14 days, and in general the plant blooms almost all summer - up to 3.5 months.
Different flower names
The plant is also interesting because of the name of the flower "dog" in different countries. Depending on the place of growth, he was given the following names: in Russia - “dogs”, in Ukraine - “mouths”, in France - “wolf mouth”, in England - “biting dragon” (snapdragon), and a literal translation from the Greek antirrinum means "like a nose."
This flower can be found in the myths of Ancient Greece in the story of the exploits of Hercules. After the victory of the ancient hero over the ferocious Nemean lion, the goddess Flora gives Hercules a reward - a flower named "snapdragon" in his honor. Since then, the tradition has been preserved to give the winners a bouquet with such an unusual flower.
The antirrinum plant was discovered by biologists 5 centuries ago, but only in the 19th century, German scientists began breeding new varieties. Over the years, more than 1,000 varieties have been created by selection from a single flower species.
Growing and care
Snapdragon loves lit places, grows on any soil, including loams and sandstones, but prefers fertile and light, tolerates cold and frosts down to -5 ° С. Before planting, 3-4 kg of humus or compost are added, up to 200 g of ash, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of nitrophoska, gardeners also recommend 1 sq. m add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of Agricola fertilizer. The soil should be dug up, to form a bed. The dog flower is planted with seedlings, likes mulching with peat between plants.
Antirrhinum seedlings are grown by sowing seeds mixed with the ground in March in boxes. Then covered with glass to retain moisture and microclimate. Shoots appear on the 8-10th day, only after a month they can be dived into cups. For abundant flowering in summer, it is better to pinch the central shoot after the seedling grows to 8-10 cm.
Seedlings are planted in the ground in the second half of May with a distance between seedlings of 12-20 cm, depending on the variety. After rooting, they should be fed.
Many gardeners grow the "doggy" flower as an annual, but with good care it winters well and will bloom again in the second year. Flowering time is June. When leaving, you should carefully monitor the soil moisture, it is better to water in the morning, flowering plants as well.
Basic rules for proper care that will help long flowering:
- regularly loosen the soil in the evening, remove weeds;
- high flowers must be tied up so that they are not broken by the wind;
- withered flowers should be removed immediately;
- to collect seeds at the bottom specially leave a few flowers;
- feed in time.
Anti-rrinum diseases
The most common diseases of the dog flower are gray rot, septoria and blackleg. Be sure to collect the affected parts, and treat the soil and the plant itself with antifungaldrugs.
During the period of growing seedlings with excess watering, black leg disease is possible. To avoid this, seedlings for prevention are treated with a solution of the drug "Hom" in the proportion of 1 tsp. per liter of water. During the period of growth of seedlings planted in the ground, they are re-treated by spraying at the rate of 40 g of the product per bucket of water.
Snapdragon pests: caterpillars, butterflies, scale insects, fly larvae, which should also be treated with special preparations.
Snapdragon varieties
The doggy flower is classified by gardeners by plant height:
- Gigantella grow up to 130 cm and include varieties: Arthur (cherry blossoms), F1 XL red and pink, The Rose (pink pearl), Opus red (shades of pink and lavender).
- High varieties (up to 90 cm) are grown for cutting: Anna Herman (pale pink), terry Madama Butterfly, Canary, Maxi Orange Wonder (salmon shades), Goshenka (bright orange), Rocket Lemon, Swallowtail (a combination of raspberry-yellow), Rocket Orchid (cornflower blue), Rocket Bronze (yellow-orange), etc.
- Medium (up to 60 cm) are planted to decorate flower beds and cut into bouquets, these varieties are more branched: Ruby (hot pink), Silver (pale pink with white), Day and Night or Queen of the Night (white -red flowers), Rosella (pink), Scarlett Monarch (burgundy red), White Monarch (white), Golden Monarch (yellow), etc.
- Short (25-40 cm) - planted to decorate flower beds and borders: Hobbit (sunny shades), Tip-top (light pink with yellow edging), Persin with cream, Lemon sherbet, Sunbeam (bright yellow), Snappy, Rainbow mix (different shades of flowers).
- Dwarf varieties of antirrinum (up to 20 cm) are the decoration of flower beds and alpine slides. Unlike other varieties - the central stem is lower than the rest, it branches well. Popular varieties: Sakura Blossom (creamy pink), Candy Showers (ampel), Magic Carpet (2-color), Floral show Bicolor (yellow-red flowers), Chimes (lilac-cherry), Floral Showers (shades from lemon to orange), Tom Thumb (lemon with dots), etc.
Wild "dogs"
Many people saw flowers that looked like dogs in the forest and along the road. What are they called (the photo is given below in the article) and what are the differences? Scientifically, such a picky plant is defined as common flax (lat. Linaria vulgaris), but is also popularly referred to as "medunica" and "wild flax".
It grows in many regions of Russia, even in Siberia. The flax has elongated leaves and bright yellow flowers with an orange spot at the top of the corolla; black seeds in boxes ripen on it at the end of summer.
When detaching the "doggie" wildflower from the base, you can move the petals apart with your fingers, which looks like a dog's mouth. Flaxseed belongs to medicinal plants useful forstomach. Improves its microflora, increases appetite and relieves inflammation.
Antirrinum in landscape design
Snapdragons can be used in various plantings both in the garden, in the countryside and on the balcony as follows:
- group plantings on lawns, curbs and along paths;
- doggy flower looks great in a flower bed with phlox, petunias, poppies, annual chrysanthemums and sage;
- medium-high varieties of antirrinum planted in flowerpots will decorate the local area;
- pygmy snapdragon is perfect for planting in alpine slides;
- on balconies, verandas for decoration, you can put or hang pots with such flowers.
The bright colorful flowering of the antirrinum will attract attention and serve as a wonderful decoration for the territory of a summer residence or a loggia.
