Snapdragon Flower Meaning and the Story Behind It

Snapdragon, also known as dragon's head flower, lion flower, dragon's mouth flower, and parrot flower, among other names, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Antirrhinum in the family Scrophulariaceae, native to the Mediterranean region. It gets its name because its flowers resemble goldfish. It can be grown in pots and, because of its brilliant flower colors, is very well suited to ornamental use. Let's take a look together below at the flower meaning and story of snapdragon!

Snapdragon Flower Meaning

Lively and bustling, arrogance, talkativeness, being a busybody, deception, strength. The flower meaning of pink snapdragon is a perfect conjugal union, red snapdragon means good fortune arriving, yellow snapdragon means gold and silver filling the hall, purple snapdragon means great prominence and purple glory, and variegated snapdragon means huge profits from a small investment.

Snapdragon Blooming Period

Snapdragon is generally best sown in late August or September, and will bloom in April to May of the following year. When seedlings are raised in a cold frame in early spring or sown in spring and summer, it can bloom in June to July or September to October. Of course, in this case it will not grow as well as autumn-sown plants, and the blooming period will be shorter. For those used as cut flowers in winter, it is often sown in late summer, cultivated in the open field, moved into a greenhouse when autumn turns cool, and kept at 22°C during the day and above 10°C at night through autumn and winter, and it can also bloom successively in December.

Snapdragon Story

Legend has it that a goldfish fell in love with a boy. The boy came to the lake to fish every day, and the goldfish would punctually watch the boy from underwater whenever he came. One day the goldfish waited for the boy, but the boy never appeared again. After a long time, a flower shaped like a fish grew by the lake, gazing toward the lake and waiting for the boy to appear.

Since ancient times, Christianity has had the custom of linking saints with specific flowers. This came about because when the church commemorated saints, it often decorated the altar with blooming flowers. In the Catholic monasteries of the Middle Ages, moreover, all kinds of flowers were planted almost like in a horticultural center. Over time, the church paired the 366 days' saints with different flowers, forming the so-called flower calendar. At that time, most monasteries were located in Southern Europe, and Southern Europe has a Mediterranean climate, which is extremely suitable for growing flowers and plants. Snapdragon was chosen as the flower to honor the 11th-century nobleman of Florence, Saint John Gualbert, who later became a monk.

Snapdragon is a rather interesting plant. In Europe, the shape of this flower closely resembles a boxer dog. In Japan, it grows to look like a goldfish. However, this plant does not merely have value for people to admire. The oil produced after pressing the seeds is just as useful as olive oil. Therefore its flower meaning is "having practical value." People blessed by this flower, even if they appear carefree on the surface, are in fact intellectuals with inner substance. In matters of love, a timely burst of drive can make a romantic rival retreat in the face of difficulties and understand that you are no pushover.