Ornamental · Plantaginaceae
Angelonia
Angelonia angustifolia
Give it full sun and heat, and angelonia throws up spires of bloom from summer to fall without a second thought.
Full sun
USDA 9–11
12–18 in · 30–46 cm
Overview
Angelonia, the summer snapdragon, earns its keep in the heat. While other bedding plants sulk through July, it sends up slim spires of purple, pink, white, or blue flowers and keeps them coming from early summer into fall. The name nods to the snapdragon-like blooms, but it belongs to the family Plantaginaceae and answers to none of a snapdragon's fussiness.
It grows as a tidy mound, 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) tall, at home in a border, a mass planting, or a pot. Hardy only in zones 9 to 11, most gardeners treat it as a warm season annual and replant each spring. Give it sun and warmth and it asks for very little in return.
The real draw is how little it demands. Once it has rooted in, it shrugs off drought and humidity alike, needs no deadheading, and rarely draws pests. Plant it where the sun is full, keep the soil draining freely, and it more or less takes care of itself.
Care
The short version: full sun, warmth, and soil that drains well. Keep it watered while it settles in, then let it ride out dry spells once established, and shear it back by half at midsummer if it starts to flag.
Light
Angelonia wants full sun and plenty of it. The more direct light it gets, the denser the plant and the heavier the bloom, while shade leaves it thin, floppy, and shy to flower.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist while the plant is establishing, then ease off once the roots take hold. After that it handles dry spells well and the soil can dry between waterings, as long as the drainage is sharp. Soggy ground is the one thing it won't forgive.
Soil
Plant it in moist, fertile soil that drains freely. Rich ground feeds the long bloom, but standing water invites root rot, so loosen heavy soil with compost and make sure water has somewhere to go.
Humidity
Heat and humid air don't bother angelonia at all, so there's no number to chase. Airflow is what counts, since still, muggy air around crowded plants is what lets powdery mildew get a foothold.
Feeding
Work a slow-release landscape fertilizer into the soil at planting and refresh it about every two months through the growing season. Where the soil is lean, a liquid feed now and then keeps the flowers coming.
Pruning
No deadheading needed, since the plant is self-cleaning. If it starts to stretch or flag by midsummer, shear it back by about half and it re-flowers within 2 to 3 weeks.
Size & spacing
Plants reach 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) tall and spread 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) wide. Give each one that much elbow room so air moves through the planting and mildew stays away.
When to plant
Angelonia is all about warmth and has no use for frost. Start seed indoors in late winter, set plants out once the cold has truly passed and the soil has warmed, and the flowers carry from early summer through the first chill of fall.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Start seed indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost; seed needs light to germinate and sprouts in 7 to 14 days.
- Plant: Transplant outdoors after the last frost when soil and air have warmed.
- Harvest: Blooms from late spring or early summer through early fall (about June to September); allow roughly 13 to 14 weeks from sowing to flower.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 9–11
Temperature: down to -7°C
Troubleshooting
Angelonia is one of the more trouble-free annuals you can plant, and most of what does go wrong traces back to soggy soil or stagnant air. Learn the few signs below and you can step in early. Match what you see, then act while it still helps.
Wilting and collapse even though the soil is wet
When a plant wilts in soil that is still soggy, suspect Phytophthora root and stem rot, a water mold that thrives in ground that never drains. The roots and stem base turn brown and soft, and there is no saving a plant that far gone. Lift and bin the worst, ease off the watering, and replant where drainage is sharp.
Fix:
- Remove and discard severely affected plants
- Improve drainage and reduce watering frequency
White powdery dusting on the leaves and stems
This is powdery mildew, a fungus that settles in where the air sits still and the leaves stay damp. Water at the base rather than over the top, thin out any crowded growth so air can move, and pull off the worst-coated leaves. A plant in full sun with room to breathe rarely sees much of it.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation by spacing plants properly
- Avoid wetting foliage and water at the base
- Remove badly affected foliage
Curled new shoots crowded with small insects
Those soft-bodied specks clustered on the tender tips are aphids, and the sticky shine they leave behind is honeydew. Knock them off with a hard jet of water, then follow with insecticidal soap if they keep coming. Lady beetles and other natural predators usually do the rest, so go easy on the nitrogen that draws them in.
Fix:
- Dislodge aphids with a strong spray of water
- Apply insecticidal soap if populations are high
- Encourage natural predators such as lady beetles
Toxicity
Good news for households with pets and children: angelonia is not listed as toxic. The ASPCA leaves it off its lists for cats and dogs, and there are no known poisons in the leaves or flowers. A curious nibble might upset a sensitive stomach the way any strange plant can, but the plant itself is safe.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Angelonia isn't on the ASPCA's toxic list, so a curious cat that nibbles a leaf has nothing to fear from it.
Dogs None
Safe for dogs as well. A mouthful of foliage might upset a sensitive stomach the way any strange plant can, but the plant carries no known toxin.
Horses Safe
Nothing in angelonia is known to harm horses, so a grazing mouthful is no cause for worry.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can browse the leaves and flowers without harm, though hungry ones may strip a young plant to the stem.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep face no known toxic risk from angelonia in the pasture or border.
Birds Safe
Birds that pick at the foliage or spent blooms are in no danger from it.
People Safe
Angelonia is grown for show, not the table, but it holds no toxin, so a child who tastes a flower comes to no harm.
Varieties
Angelonia comes in seed-grown series and vegetative ones, the latter bred for bigger flowers and held true by cuttings. A few names turn up again and again at the garden center.
Serena and Serenita series
Compact plants grown from seed that come in purple, lavender pink, and white.
Archangel series
Vegetatively grown types with larger flowers in shades like blue and pink.
Night Sky
Carries deep purple flowers freckled all over with white dots.
How to propagate
You can multiply angelonia from cuttings or from seed, and which you choose comes down to how much time you have and whether you want an exact copy of a favorite.
Stem cuttingsEasy
During active growth in the warm season. · A few weeks to root and establish.
Tip cuttings are the quickest way to copy a plant you like. Take them during active growth in the warm season, stand them in a moist medium, and they root and settle in within a few weeks. This is also how the named vegetative series are kept true to color.
SeedEasy
Start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. · Germinates in 7 to 14 days with light; about 13 to 14 weeks from sowing to flower.
Starting from seed takes patience but covers a lot of plants. Sow indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost and leave the seed uncovered, since it needs light to sprout, which it does in 7 to 14 days. Count on roughly 13 to 14 weeks from sowing to the first flowers.
Myths
Angelonia needs constant deadheading to keep blooming.
Angelonia cleans up after itself and keeps flowering with no deadheading at all. If it starts to look tired by midsummer, a single shearing by half refreshes the bloom within 2 to 3 weeks.
Angelonia is a true snapdragon.
The nickname summer snapdragon comes from the flower shape, not the family tree. It is Angelonia angustifolia in the family Plantaginaceae, no relation to the true snapdragon, Antirrhinum.