Antirrhinum majus

Snapdragon

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

The power of expression comes by getting into touch with the inner source from which these things come.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - IV: The Power of Expression and Yoga

For a certain state of consciousness there is not a single word, not a gesture, not an action which does not express a deeper or higher reality, more lasting, more essential, more true; and once one has seen and felt that, everything takes on a meaning, and one sees more clearly how things ought to be organised, arranged, so that a deeper truth may express itself still better than it does at present.

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1956: 30 May 1956

The truest expression comes out of an absolute inner silence.

Sri Aurobindo, The Mother with Letters on The Mother: The Mother's Attitude towards Music and Other Arts

Varieties

Message of the Flower

Power of Expression

The Mother’s Comment

It has the power to manifest that which is latent.

Colour

White and shades of yellow, orange, pink, and red

Message of the Flower

Power of Psychic Expression

The Mother’s Comment

The psychic obtains its power of expression when it governs the whole being.

Colour

Pink

Message of the Flower

Power of Mental Expression

The Mother’s Comment

Has no value unless it is at the service of the Divine.

Colour

Yellow

Message of the Flower

Power of Vital Expression

The Mother’s Comment

It is useful only when the vital is converted.

Colour

Purple to violet

Message of the Flower

Power of Physical Expression

The Mother’s Comment

One of the benefits of conversion.

Colour

Red

Message of the Flower

Power of Integral Expression

The Mother’s Comment

Nothing is too difficult for it to say.

Colour

White, yellow

Message of the Flower

Power of Manifold Expression

The Mother’s Comment

The result of suppleness and plasticity.

Colour

Multicoloured

Message of the Flower

Progressive Expression

The Mother’s Comment

What you cannot say today, you will know how to say tomorrow!

Colour

Pink

Family

Scrophulariacea

Cultivars

'Rocket', 'Sonnet', 'Liberty Classic'

Person who named the flower

Carl Linnaeus

Flower Size

2-3 cm across

Flower Texture

Soft, velvety

Number of Petals

5

Floral Symmetry

Bilateral

Fragrance of Flower

Some are fragrant

Leaf Texture

Coarse, slightly hairy

Leaf Arrangement

Opposite

Leaf Color

Green, sometimes with bronze hue

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Herbaceous perennial, often grown as an annual

Life Cycle

Perennial, often cultivated as annual

Blooming Period

Spring through fall

Climate

Temperate

Water Requirements

Moderate, needs well-drained soil

Soil Type

Prefers loamy, well-drained

Temperature Ranges

Thrives in cooler temperatures, not heat tolerant

Sun or Shade

Full sun to partial shade

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Rust, powdery mildew, aphids

Pollinators

Bees, butterflies

Habitat

Native to Mediterranean, cultivated worldwide

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides nectar for pollinators

Quotations

Snapdragons will bloom after the fairies have whispered to them at midnight.

Ornamental

Used in gardens and as a cut flower

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Floral displays, garden design

Endangered Status

Not endangered