About
Antirrhinum majus 'Madame Butterfly' is a half-hardy perennial typically cultivated as an annual. This variety can reach heights of up to 90 cm and features elongated, lanceolate green leaves. Its double blooms appear from summer through autumn and come in a variety of hues such as white, cream, yellow, orange-tinged pink, pink, and red. Unlike single flowered snapdragons, this type does not offer nectar for pollinators.
About the genus
Antirrhinum consists of annuals, perennials, or sub-shrubs characterized by simple foliage and tubular flowers with two lips. These flowers can appear either individually or in terminal racemes, blooming during the summer and autumn months.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Sow seed from autumn to spring, and grow in full sun in any well-drained moderately fertile soil; on exposed sites, support by staking
- Pruning
- No pruning required, but deadheading will prolong the flowering season
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed in autumn at 18-20°C or in early spring ('Madame Butterfly' are F1 hybrids which will not themselves set seed) or by semi-ripe cuttings in early autumn
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to antirrhinum rust, downy mildews, Fusarium wilt, leaf spot, powdery mildews, sclerotinia diseases, shot-hole, and verticillium wilt