I impulse-purchased some short snapdragons back in May, and they are in full bloom now in a flowerbed that only gets part sun these days.
Snapdragons tolerate light shade although they prefer full sun. The plant marker didn’t give a cultivar name, but it let me know my plants will peak at 8 inches tall.
I used to grow dwarf snapdragons from seed, but because they take so long to germinate and grow, I eventually decided it was easier to let a garden center do all the work.
I also like taller snapdragons. They make great cutting flowers, but know that they are geotropic (like gladiolas) which means the blooms will bend away from gravity. If you cut tall snaps and leave them stored horizontally before arranging them, they will start bending toward the light. When you stick them into a vase they may not straighten again.
One of the biggest problems with snapdragons is that they are prone to rust disease (spots on the leaves that can eventually cause them to turn brown and fall off). Snipping off infected leaves and tips when those spots first appear can help prevent major damage.
And snaps also don’t like excessive heat, so they are not a good annual for southern climates. I only had a problem with too much heat once. It was 10 years ago when we had a drought and many days with temperatures above 100(F). My snapdragons shriveled up and disappeared completely in those conditions.
Snapdragons don’t bloom as long as marigolds and zinnias do in my flowerbeds each summer, but I can usually count on them for blooms throughout June, July and August.