Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd
Antirrhinum Crown Mixed
Antirrhinum Crown Mixed
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Antirrhinum 'Crown Mixed' Seeds
Finding the right height for a border can be tricky: dwarf snapdragons get lost, while giant ones need endless staking. 'Crown Mixed' hits the sweet spot. It grows to a perfect, bushy 45cm, creating mounds of colour that support themselves without flopping.
This mix creates a carnival of colour, producing dense spikes in vivid shades of scarlet, pink, yellow, white, and purple. Because it branches freely, it creates a "hedge" effect rather than just single stems. It is robust, weather-resistant, and perfect for filling the middle of a border or stuffing into large patio containers for a long-lasting display.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
This is a Half-Hardy Annual.
It is a modern, open-pollinated variety bred for a "semi-dwarf" or intermediate habit. It retains the classic "snapping" mouth that insects love, but holds the flowers on shorter, thicker stems than traditional cutting varieties.
The "Rust" Resistance: 'Crown' varieties generally show good field resistance to rust (a common fungal disease that spots the leaves), keeping the foliage greener for longer into the autumn.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Snapdragon seeds are dust-like—handle with care!
Germination:
Sow indoors from February to April. Surface sow onto moist compost and do not cover (they need light to germinate). Keep warm (20-22°C) on a sunny windowsill. Germination takes 10-14 days.
Where to Sow:
Plant out after the last frost. They love **full sun**. Because of their bushy habit, they are excellent for mass planting in bedding schemes or filling large pots.
Care While Growing:
Pinch: Even though this is a bushy variety, pinching out the tip when the plant is 10cm tall will make it even bushier and produce more flower spikes.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Antirrhinum majus 'Crown Mixed' |
| Common Name | Snapdragon 'Crown Mixed' |
| Hardiness | H3 (Half-Hardy - tolerates light frost) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 40cm - 50cm (Intermediate) |
| Spread | ↔️ 35cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 30cm apart |
| Great for | 🏺 Containers 🐝 Bumblebees 🌈 Bedding Schemes 🧱 Mid-Border |
| Seed Count | Approx. 1000 seeds per packet (Tiny seeds!) |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
'Crown Mixed' is robust enough to hold its own in a busy summer border:
- 🍃 Nicotiana (Tobacco Plant): The Day & Night Team. Planting Nicotiana behind your Snapdragons ensures you have colour all day (from the Snapdragons) and scent all evening (from the Nicotiana).
- 🌸 Cosmos 'Sensation': The Texture Clash. The solid, upright spikes of the Snapdragon contrast perfectly with the floaty, ferny foliage of Cosmos.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow indoors in spring. Flowers June to October.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Indoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||
| Plant Out | 🌱 | 🌱 | ||||||||||
| Flowers | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Entertainment Value
Snapdragons are the ultimate interactive flower. Gently squeeze the sides of a flower to make the dragon's mouth open and shut. A must-have plant if you are gardening with grandchildren!
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
Antirrhinum is listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list. The complex flowers are specifically designed for heavy insects like bumblebees, who are the only ones strong enough to force the petals open.
