Growth Rate of the Snapdragon Flower

Seed Germination Rate

• Snapdragons grow well from seed. Start the seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date in your area. Snapdragons thrive in cool weather, making them ideal for early spring planting. The seeds germinate in 10 to 12 days. A temperature range between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit creates the best environment for snapdragon seed germination. Once germination occurs, the seeds emerge from the soil within a few days.

Perennial Snapdragons

• Snapdragon flowers are short-lived perennials. Perennial plants die down to the ground in late fall and regrow in the spring. In U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 10, snapdragons come back each year from underground rootstock. In colder climates, snapdragons die off in the fall and should be replanted in spring. One way to preserve plant colonies from year to year in cold climates is to transplant the roots into containers and keep the plants indoors through the cold months.

Snapdragons as Annuals

• Snapdragons grow easily from seed and flower the same season after planting. Plant snapdragon seedlings in spring after the last frost date has passed. The plants flower through spring into summer. The rapid growth rate of snapdragons makes it possible to grow this perennial as an annual. Once the first frosts arrive, snapdragons die down to the ground. Replant the next spring from seeds started indoors or purchased at a nursery.

Winter Flowers

• In climates with mild winters and long, hot summers, plant snapdragons in the fall. This cool-weather perennial blooms all winter in zones 9 and 10. Planted from starts, either from seed or from a nursery, snapdragons grow and flower through the cool winter months. When summer's heat arrives, snapdragons flower less vigorously. In mild climates, snapdragons naturally self-propagate by scattering seeds. Collect snapdragon seeds as the flowers fade.