Antirrhinum majus 'Circus Clowns'

RHS Plant Profile

snapdragon 'Circus Clowns'

Herbaceous Perennial Annual Biennial

A short-lived perennial, often grown as an annual, up to 45cm high, with lance-shaped green leaves, and racemes of bicoloured flowers in shades of white, yellow, orange, red, crimson, and pink, from summer to early autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Sand, Chalk, Loam

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1–2 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Sand Chalk Loam

Moisture: Well–drained or Moist but well–drained
pH: Neutral or Alkaline or Acid

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H3

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Plantaginaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Antirrhinum can be annuals, perennials or sub-shrubs, with simple leaves and tubular, 2-lipped flowers which may be solitary or in terminal racemes, in summer and autumn
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a sunny position in well-drained soil

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown at 16-18°C in late summer or early autumn, and overwinter young plants under glass, or by seed in early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildlife gardens
Cottage and informal garden
City and courtyard gardens
Patio and container plants
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders
Bedding
Cut flowers

Pruning

No pruning required, but deadheading will prolong the flowering period

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to antirrhinum rust, and powdery mildews; may also be affected by damping off, downy mildews, Fusarium wilt, leaf spots, sclerotinia diseases, shothole, Verticillium wilt, and other wilts