Antirrhinum majus

A perennial of the Plantaginaceae family, the snapdragon is native to the western Mediterranean basin, from the rocky coasts and limestone cliffs of Spain, Portugal, southern France, and Italy, where it spontaneously settles in rock crevices, on old walls, and stony embankments in full exposure.

The plant forms upright and branched clumps, reaching from 20 cm for dwarf varieties to 90 cm or more for tall forms. The leaves are lanceolate, dark green, and slightly shiny. The flowers, characteristic and immediately recognizable, are tubular and bilabiate, with the lower lip closing the entrance to the corolla like a mouth, only opening under the pressure of a sufficiently heavy insect, such as a bumblebee.

Although perennial in its natural habitat and under mild climates, it is most often grown as an annual or biennial in colder climates, where frost compromises its longevity. It requires well-drained soil, moderately fertile, in full sun, and blooms abundantly from May until the first frosts, with a slight pause possible in mid-summer during intense heat.