Snapdragons have been a garden favorite for centuries, and since they originally hail from the sunny Mediterranean, a lot of folks wonder: can these beauties actually handle a cold winter?
Yes, Snapdragons Can Handle the Frost
Believe it or not, snapdragons are tougher than they look! In most temperate climates, they’ll survive the winter outdoors just fine, even when the thermometer dips well below freezing. The secret to helping them survive is to skip the pruning in the fall. Your snapdragons actually need those old leaves and stems to act as natural insulation for the roots. To give them an extra cozy layer of protection, I recommend mulching the base with:
- Bark mulch
- Evergreen boughs
- Fallen leaves
Watch Out for Annual Hybrids
While “true” snapdragons are perennials that will come back and bloom year after year, you’ll often find “F1 Hybrids” at the garden center. These varieties are bred for explosive growth and a massive amount of flowers, but there’s a catch—they are usually treated as annuals. Once the season is over, these guys won’t return, so you can pull them up in late fall and get ready to replant fresh ones next spring.
Spring Care Tips
If you have the perennial variety, spring is the time to do the cleanup you skipped in the fall. Grab your shears and cut the plants back to about two hand-widths above the ground. This is also the perfect time to start fertilizing. Giving them a boost of energy now ensures they’ll have the strength to bloom beautifully and survive the *next* winter, too. My favorite snacks for snapdragons are:
- Horn meal or bone meal
- Fresh compost
- Liquid flowering plant fertilizer
To wrap it up, here’s the quick cheat sheet for keeping your snapdragons happy through the cold months:
- Standard snapdragons are perennials and can usually handle winter outdoors without a problem.
- F1 Hybrids are the exception—they’re annuals, so you can clear them out once the frost hits.
- Don’t prune in the fall! Wait until spring so the plant stays insulated all winter long.
