Oregon · Washington · Idaho

When to plant snapdragons

Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 15 – Apr 26; Spokane Apr 15 – May 27; Boise Apr 1 – May 13; Bend May 12 – Jun 23.

Snapdragons are spiky Mediterranean flowers named for blooms that open like a dragon's mouth when you squeeze the sides. Tall varieties are a classic cut flower, while dwarf types edge beds and fill pots. They're short-lived perennials usually grown as annuals, and in mild gardens plants often come back a second year.

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Puts snapdragons on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.

Difficulty: Moderate
Sun: Full sun
Spacing: 9 to 12 inches apart
Planting depth: Press seeds onto the soil surface; they need light to sprout
Frost: Handles light frost; often overwinters on the west side
Flowers: Blooms about 75 to 100 days after sowing

Spiky cut flowers that like cool weather and handle light frost, so they go out in spring before most annuals. The seeds are tiny and slow, so start them indoors early or buy young plants.

Snapdragon planting dates

Towns	Start seeds indoors	Plant in the garden
Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Jan 4–18	Mar 15 – Apr 26
Spokane, WA	Feb 4–18	Apr 15 – May 27
Boise and Meridian, ID, Astoria, OR	Jan 21 – Feb 4	Apr 1 – May 13
Bend and Redmond, OR	Mar 3–17	May 12 – Jun 23

Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.

Gresham, OR, Oregon City and West Linn, OR, Portland, OR, St. Helens and Scappoose, OR, Wilsonville and Canby, OR	Jan 4–18	Mar 15 – Apr 26
Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR	Jan 8–22	Mar 19 – Apr 30

Corvallis and Albany, OR, Eugene, OR, Salem, OR	Jan 4–18	Mar 15 – Apr 26
Cottage Grove, OR	Jan 16–30	Mar 27 – May 8
McMinnville and Newberg, OR	Jan 7–21	Mar 18 – Apr 29

Ashland and Talent, OR	Jan 28 – Feb 11	Apr 8 – May 20
Grants Pass, OR, Medford, OR, Roseburg, OR	Jan 4–18	Mar 15 – Apr 26

Astoria, OR, Brookings and Gold Beach, OR, Coos Bay and North Bend, OR, Newport and Lincoln City, OR, Tillamook, OR	Jan 21 – Feb 4	Apr 1 – May 13

Bend and Redmond, OR, Klamath Falls, OR	Mar 3–17	May 12 – Jun 23
Burns, OR	Mar 5–19	May 14 – Jun 25
Lakeview, OR	Feb 26 – Mar 12	May 7 – Jun 18
Madras, OR	Feb 10–24	Apr 21 – Jun 2
Prineville, OR	Feb 23 – Mar 9	May 4 – Jun 15

Baker City, OR	Feb 16 – Mar 2	Apr 27 – Jun 8
Enterprise and Joseph, OR	Feb 15 – Mar 1	Apr 26 – Jun 7
Hermiston, OR, Hood River, OR, Ontario, OR, Pendleton, OR, The Dalles, OR	Jan 21 – Feb 4	Apr 1 – May 13
John Day, OR	Feb 19 – Mar 5	Apr 30 – Jun 11
La Grande, OR	Feb 4–18	Apr 15 – May 27

Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA, Everett, WA, Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Jan 4–18	Mar 15 – Apr 26
Olympia, WA	Jan 21 – Feb 4	Apr 1 – May 13
Shelton, WA	Jan 19 – Feb 2	Mar 30 – May 11

Anacortes, WA, Bellingham, WA, Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA, Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA, Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA	Jan 4–18	Mar 15 – Apr 26

Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA, Forks, WA, Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA	Jan 21 – Feb 4	Apr 1 – May 13
Port Angeles, WA, Port Townsend, WA	Jan 4–18	Mar 15 – Apr 26
Sequim, WA	Jan 13–27	Mar 24 – May 5

Centralia and Chehalis, WA	Jan 14–28	Mar 25 – May 6
Longview and Kelso, WA, Vancouver, WA	Jan 4–18	Mar 15 – Apr 26

Chelan, WA, Wenatchee, WA	Jan 21 – Feb 4	Apr 1 – May 13
Leavenworth, WA, Omak and Okanogan, WA	Feb 4–18	Apr 15 – May 27
Winthrop and Twisp, WA	Feb 6–20	Apr 17 – May 29

Ellensburg, WA	Feb 4–18	Apr 15 – May 27
Ephrata and Quincy, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA, Walla Walla, WA	Jan 21 – Feb 4	Apr 1 – May 13
Goldendale, WA	Feb 10–24	Apr 21 – Jun 2
Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA	Jan 23 – Feb 6	Apr 3 – May 15
Yakima, WA	Jan 30 – Feb 13	Apr 10 – May 22

Colville, WA, Pullman, WA, Spokane, WA	Feb 4–18	Apr 15 – May 27

Bonners Ferry, ID, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID, Sandpoint, ID	Feb 4–18	Apr 15 – May 27

Lewiston, ID	Jan 21 – Feb 4	Apr 1 – May 13
Moscow, ID	Feb 4–18	Apr 15 – May 27

Boise and Meridian, ID, Nampa and Caldwell, ID	Jan 21 – Feb 4	Apr 1 – May 13
Emmett, ID	Jan 22 – Feb 5	Apr 2 – May 14
McCall, ID	Mar 16–30	May 25 – Jul 6

Burley and Rupert, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Pocatello, ID, Rexburg, ID, Twin Falls, ID	Feb 4–18	Apr 15 – May 27
Salmon, ID	Feb 8–22	Apr 19 – May 31

Snapdragon year at a glance

Task	J	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O
Start indoors	Jan
Plant		Mar	Apr
Cut flowers				May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct

Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates.

How to grow snapdragons

Start seeds indoors on your city's dates in trays or small pots under a grow light or in your sunniest window. Or skip this step and buy young plants (starts) at a garden center.
Harden off the young plants: about a week before planting, set them outside for a few hours a day, a little longer each day.
Plant them in the garden on your city's dates, 9 to 12 inches apart. Press seeds onto the soil surface; they need light to sprout.
Water deeply once or twice a week rather than a little every day, and mulch once the soil is warm.
Harvest: Cut stems when the bottom third of the flowers are open. Pinch young plants once for more, shorter stems, or leave them for one tall spike.

Growing snapdragons in your part of the Northwest

The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.

West-side valleys

Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon

Snapdragons like cool weather and sometimes survive mild winters. Rust can be a problem in damp weather.

Coast

Oregon and Washington coast

Snapdragons bloom well in cool coastal summers.

East of the Cascades

Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho

Snapdragons bloom best in spring and fall; summer heat slows them down.

High desert and mountain towns

Central Oregon, high eastern Oregon valleys, McCall, Salmon

Snapdragons bloom through the cool summers and handle light frost.

More snapdragon varieties

More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.

Rocket series

Tall cut flower · 75–90 days

Spikes 2 to 3 feet tall in many colors. Heat-tolerant for a snapdragon and a reliable cut flower.

Both sides

Madame Butterfly

Double azalea-type flowers · 75–90 days

Open, ruffled double flowers instead of the classic snap. Tall and lovely in bouquets.

Both sides

Chantilly

Open-faced flowers · 75–90 days

Butterfly-shaped, open flowers with a light fragrance. Blooms early and comes in soft colors.

Both sides

Snapshot

Dwarf · About 70 days

Compact plants about 10 inches tall for edging and pots.

Both sides

How much to grow

How many to plant

A short row of 12 to 20 plants gives stems for weeks.

In the vase

Cut snapdragons last about a week in the vase.

Key numbers

8–10 weeks before frostStart indoors
Yes, don't coverLight to sprout
Handles light frostFrost
RustBiggest risk

Top care tip: Water at the soil, not the leaves, to keep rust away, and cut stems low for a second flush.

Growing notes

What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.

Starting from seed

Snapdragon seeds are tiny and need light to germinate, so press them onto the surface of moist seed-starting mix without covering them. They take one to two weeks to sprout and grow slowly at first.

Start them indoors eight to ten weeks before your last frost, or buy young plants. Harden them off and plant out a few weeks before the last frost; they handle light frost and grow best in cool weather.

Growing tall stems

Give them full sun and good soil with compost. Pinch young plants above the third set of leaves for more, shorter stems, or leave them unpinched for a single tall spike.

Tall types like Rocket need support. Stretch netting over the bed early so stems grow up through it.

Cutting and rust

Cut stems when the lower third of the flowers are open. Cut low, and side shoots bloom again later.

Rust causes orange-brown spots under the leaves in damp weather. Water at the soil, give plants space, and pull and bin infected plants. On the west side, snapdragons often survive mild winters and bloom early the next year.

Good neighbors

Sweet peas. Same cool-season timing.

Pests and problems

What most often goes wrong with snapdragons in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.

Rust

Signs: Orange spots under the leaves.

What to do: Water at the soil and pull infected plants.

Aphids

Signs: Clusters on stems.

What to do: Hose them off.

Common questions about growing snapdragons

When should I plant snapdragons in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?

Plant in the garden: Mar 15 – Apr 26 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 15 – May 27 in Spokane, Apr 1 – May 13 in Boise and May 12 – Jun 23 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.

Do snapdragons come back every year?

They're short-lived perennials grown as annuals. In mild west-side winters many survive and bloom again early the next year, though second-year plants are often weaker.

Why won't my snapdragon seeds sprout?

They were probably covered. The seeds need light, so press them onto the surface and keep them moist.

Can snapdragons handle frost?

Yes, light frost. Plant them out a few weeks before your last frost, and cover them on very cold nights.

Also on these lists:

See what else to plant in January, March or April.

More flowers

See all 109 plants

When to plant snapdragons

Your dates in

Snapdragon planting dates

Snapdragon year at a glance

How to grow snapdragons

Growing snapdragons in your part of the Northwest

West-side valleys

Coast

East of the Cascades

High desert and mountain towns

More snapdragon varieties

Rocket series

Madame Butterfly

Chantilly

Snapshot

How much to grow

How many to plant

In the vase

Key numbers

Growing notes

Starting from seed

Growing tall stems

Cutting and rust

Good neighbors

Good neighbors

Pests and problems

Rust

Aphids

Common questions about growing snapdragons

More flowers