The snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) enriches your garden in two ways. On the one hand, the attractive flower brings beautiful color accents to the beds, on the other hand, the summer flower attracts numerous insects. Certainly she doesn't just do this to please you as a gardener. Read on this page how the snapdragon benefits from the beneficial insects.
The snapdragon is very popular with nectar-loving insects
Characteristics of the snapdragon
origin and claims
- summer flower
- annual
- usually sensitive to frost
- Most varieties come from Spain.
apparition
- Growth form: semi-shrub
- ideal for the cottage garden
varieties and breeds
- Antirrhinum majus : also called snapdragon, is the most popular variety in Europe
- Antirrhinum brown-blanquetii: grows up to 120 cm high, unfortunately only a few flowers
- A. hispanicum.: very small, only 25 cm tall, bears small pink-red flowers
Reproduction by insect pollination
In Spain, the country of origin of the snapdragon, the flowers appear anew every year. In this country, however, you have to multiply the plant yourself if you want to cultivate the flower for years. The expression "independent propagation" turns out to be rather difficult. Because in order to multiply the snapdragon, you need the help of insects. In particular, visiting bumblebees is believed to be the only way to pollinate Antirrhinum majus.
In order for this to succeed, nature has come up with a very special finesse: the petals have an overlapping upper and lower lip. The lower lip is pushed forward a little and thus closes access to the stylus. Insects have to press down the lower lip to get at the snapdragon's nectar. They inevitably touch the flower with their back and head. This ensures that pollen sticks to the body of the insect and is transported to a nearby plant.