When to plant Snapdragon
Spire-shaped flowers that shine in cool weather and tolerate light frost, so they go out early. Pinching the young plants produces many flower stems instead of one. In mild zones they often overwinter and bloom again the next spring.
Companions: A good cut-flower companion to cool-season vegetables
How to grow Snapdragon
Snapdragon is usually started indoors and transplanted out, giving this half-hardy crop the head start it needs. Give it full sun to part shade and space plants about 9 inches apart. It takes roughly 90 days from planting to its first harvest, so count that against your frost dates to be sure it can finish. Classic companions include a good cut-flower companion to cool-season vegetables.
Grower's tip: Cool-tolerant; transplant a bit before the last frost. Pinch tips for bushier, multi-stem plants.
When to plant Snapdragon by USDA zone
Timing shifts with your climate — the same snapdragon goes in weeks earlier in a mild zone than a cold one. Find your zone below for its planting window, or open that zone's full calendar.
| Zone | When to plant |
|---|---|
| Zone 1a | Start seeds indoors Apr 20–May 4 Transplant outdoors Jun 1–Jun 15 |
| Zone 1b | Start seeds indoors Apr 15–Apr 29 Transplant outdoors May 27–Jun 10 |
| Zone 2a | Start seeds indoors Apr 10–Apr 24 Transplant outdoors May 22–Jun 5 |
| Zone 2b | Start seeds indoors Apr 4–Apr 18 Transplant outdoors May 16–May 30 |
| Zone 3a | Start seeds indoors Mar 30–Apr 13 Transplant outdoors May 11–May 25 |
| Zone 3b | Start seeds indoors Mar 25–Apr 8 Transplant outdoors May 6–May 20 |
| Zone 4a | Start seeds indoors Mar 20–Apr 3 Transplant outdoors May 1–May 15 |
| Zone 4b | Start seeds indoors Mar 15–Mar 29 Transplant outdoors Apr 26–May 10 |
| Zone 5a | Start seeds indoors Mar 10–Mar 24 Transplant outdoors Apr 21–May 5 |
| Zone 5b | Start seeds indoors Mar 5–Mar 19 Transplant outdoors Apr 16–Apr 30 |
| Zone 6a | Start seeds indoors Feb 24–Mar 10 Transplant outdoors Apr 7–Apr 21 |
| Zone 6b | Start seeds indoors Feb 18–Mar 4 Transplant outdoors Apr 1–Apr 15 |
| Zone 7a | Start seeds indoors Feb 10–Feb 24 Transplant outdoors Mar 24–Apr 7 |
| Zone 7b | Start seeds indoors Feb 4–Feb 18 Transplant outdoors Mar 18–Apr 1 |
| Zone 8a | Start seeds indoors Jan 25–Feb 8 Transplant outdoors Mar 8–Mar 22 |
| Zone 8b | Start seeds indoors Jan 18–Feb 1 Transplant outdoors Mar 1–Mar 15 |
| Zone 9a | Start seeds indoors Jan 3–Jan 17 Transplant outdoors Feb 14–Feb 28 |
| Zone 9b | Start seeds indoors Dec 21–Jan 4 Transplant outdoors Feb 1–Feb 15 |
| Zone 10a | Start seeds indoors Dec 6–Dec 20 Transplant outdoors Jan 17–Jan 31 |
| Zone 10b | Start seeds indoors Nov 20–Dec 4 Transplant outdoors Jan 1–Jan 15 |
| Zone 11a | Start seeds indoors Nov 6–Nov 20 Transplant outdoors Dec 18–Jan 1 |
| Zone 11b | Start seeds indoors Nov 6–Nov 20 Transplant outdoors Dec 18–Jan 1 |
| Zone 12a | Start seeds indoors Nov 6–Nov 20 Transplant outdoors Dec 18–Jan 1 |
| Zone 12b | Start seeds indoors Nov 6–Nov 20 Transplant outdoors Dec 18–Jan 1 |
| Zone 13a | Start seeds indoors Nov 6–Nov 20 Transplant outdoors Dec 18–Jan 1 |
| Zone 13b | Start seeds indoors Nov 6–Nov 20 Transplant outdoors Dec 18–Jan 1 |