Antirrhinum majus
| Antirrhinum majus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Antirrhinum majus (common name: snapdragon)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow March in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 10 - 21 days at 18°c[1]. Cool nights assist germination[1]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
The seed can also be sown in situ in July/August and will produce larger and more floriferous plants the following summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood in September in a cold frame[2].
Cultivation: Prefers a light well drained loam and a sunny position[3][2]. Plants are tolerant of clay and lime soils, and also grow well on old walls[2].
Plants are often grown as an annual since they usually degenerate in their second year[3]. They often self sow when well-sited[K].
There are many named forms, selected for their ornamental value[2].
Range: Europe. Naturalized in Britain[4].
Habitat: Old walls, rocks and dry places[4][5].
Edibility: An oil that is little inferior to olive oil is said to be obtained from the seeds[6]. The report also says that the plant has been cultivated in Russia for this purpose[6]. The seeds are very small and I wonder about the authenticity of this report[K].
Medicinal: The leaves and flowers are antiphlogistic, bitter, resolvent and stimulant[7][8]. They have been employed in poultices on tumours and ulcers[6]. It is effective in the treatment of all kinds of inflammation and is also used on haemorrhoids[7]. The plant is harvested in the summer when in flower and is dried for later use[7].
Usage: A green dye is obtained from the flowers, it does not require a mordant[9]. Dark green and gold can also be obtained if a mordant is used[9].
Pollinators: Bees, self
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan, 1988.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.