Angelonia

Angelonia is a wonderful plant that copes well with heat and flowers throughout the season, making it a great choice for flower beds and containers in the Florida summer garden.

Often called "summer snapdragon," angelonia produces numerous snapdragon-like flowers that come in white, pink, lavender, or purple, depending on the cultivar. Angelonia also makes a good cut flower, lasting for a long time and producing a pleasant grape-soda scent.

Angelface® Blue is one cultivar that has done well in field tests here in Florida. ‘Hilo Princess’ was named a 1998 Plant of the Year by the Florida Nursery Growers & Landscape Association. Other popular varieties include those in the Carita series and the AngelMist series.

For best performance, plant angelonia in late spring in a spot that receives full sun and has moist, well-drained soil. Once established, these plants can be quite drought-tolerant, especially if the soil is rich in organic material and a layer of mulch has been added.

Fertilize the plants with a light, monthly application of a 10-5-10 fertilizer or similar mix, but be careful not to overfertilize or the plants will produce more leaves and less flowers.

The plant will typically behave as a perennial in Florida, unless exposed to a cold winter. It is often problem-free, but can sometimes develop powdery mildew or suffer from aphid infestations.

By the end of the season, the plants should reach eighteen to twenty-four inches tall.

UF/IFAS Publications

• Angelonia, the Summer Snapdragon, Provides Reliable Summer Color (PDF)
• Crop Production: Angelonia, the Warm-season Snapdragon (PDF)
• Try the "Summer Snapdragon" for Summer Color (PDF)
• Warm Climate Production Guidelines for Angelonia

Also on Gardening in a Minute

• Cutting Gardens
• Summer Bedding Plants

Other Sites

• Angelonia and Caladium Provide Summer Color--Mississippi State University
• Angelonia angustifolia--Floridata.com
• Angelonia angustifolia--Missouri Botanical Garden
• Commercial site: Angelface® Blue Angelonia--Proven Winners
• Summer Snapdragon, Angel Flower--University of Illinois Extension

 

• Angelonia was featured as a plant of the month. See the other featured plants.