Summer snapdragon
Beautiful annual can withstand the heat
Do you enjoy beautiful flowers? I believe it’s almost essential for you to plant a few summer annual flowers each summer. Unlike perennial flowers, summer annual flowers give us consistent flowering almost from the moment of planting to the first frost. One of my favorites is Angelonia or summer snapdragon.
It is called summer snapdragon because it slightly resembles a snapdragon, except that it thrives in the heat and humidity of our Kentucky summers and snapdragons do not. Angelonia comes in a variety of colors of white, pink, blue and even bicolor. It has long flowering stems, making it perfect for the garden and as a cut flower. Plants can grow anywhere from 12 inches to 3 feet tall depending on variety. The two most common series of Angelonia are the Archangel Series and the Angelface Series.
Plants prefer to grow in full sun, but will tolerate some light shade. They prefer to grow in moist, but well-drained, soil, though they can tolerate both wet soil and drought. They are also self-cleaning, which means that no deadheading is required, and they are basically considered trouble free. What’s not to love about that?
Angelonia can be planted in ground beds that are prepared for annual flowers and in containers. The taller varieties make a great vertical accent, and the smaller varieties are excellent alongside a tall vertical accent like an ornamental grass or a cordyline. Angelonia looks great in combination with other annual flowers or on its own. There has been no situation where I have used Angelonia that I was disappointed.
This summer, even if the heat and humidity are getting to you, be confident that Angelonia, the summer snapdragon, is thriving and blooming and hasn’t missed a beat.
SHELLY NOLD is a horticulturist and owner of The Plant Kingdom. Send stories and ideas to her at The Plant Kingdom, 4101 Westport Road, Louisville, KY 40207.
