Antirrhinum majus 'Madame Butterfly Red'
snapdragon
Delivery options
- Seed Packets (only) £2.95
- Position: full sun
- Soil: moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering: June to September
- Hardiness: half-hardy, short-lived perennial
This half-hardy herbaceous perennial, usually grown as an annual, reaches up to 90cm (3ft) with green lance-shaped leaves and stunning rich crimson red double flowers from summer to autumn. Best grown as cut flowers or for their aesthetic appeal, these plants are less attractive to pollinators due to their double blooms. 'Madame Butterfly Dark Red' thrives in rich soil with plenty of water until established and prefers a sunny spot but can tolerate dappled shade.
Pot up seedlings and grow on under glass until all risk of frost has passed and they can then either be planted outside into a well-prepared bed, or used to fill pots on the patio. Water your bedding plants early in the morning with a weak solution of a potash-rich fertiliser, such as Tomorite. Deadhead the flowers on a regular basis as this will encourage new growth and stop the plants putting all their energy into seed production.
Fill trays with good quality compost and lightly cover the seeds. Water, and place in a cold frame or greenhouse. Pot on when they have put on their first true leaves and then harden off before planting out at 20-30cm intervals, after the frosts have passed. Seeds sown in autumn and overwintered in a cold frame, will produce bigger plants which will flower earlier in the year, than those sown in spring.
- Sow: August to October or March to April