Expert: C.L. Fornari - 9/15/2008

Question
my friend has some beautiful snap dragons, and they are the low ones. according to one answer on here,there are taller ones and lower ones and they said ,unless I misunderstood, that the taller ones are perennial,but, didn't seem sure about the other ones. she wants to know if she should take them in for the winter or leave them in the ground and see if they come back next spring?

Answer
Linda,
There are indeed SEVERAL types of snap dragons. Some are hardier than others and without knowing where your friend lives and which time she has I couldn't say if they will come back or not.  If she wants to leave them outside she should mulch them with hay or pine branches (not leaves or anything heavy) by putting it around them later in the winter - November or December is good if she isn't in a place where there is snow before then.  Digging them up and bringing them in would be stressful on the plants and many of these annuals are prone to whitefly and aphids indoors.

She could also dig them and plant in a window box or other container, and leave them outside until the nights start to go into the 30's on a consistent basis. She should remember to water them. At this point she could drag the box into an unheated shed or garage for the winter - checking them every two weeks to see if they need water.

Were the snap dragons she bought expensive? If not, I'd just leave them unprotected and hope for the best - if they don't come back she'll buy new ones in the spring.

I hope this helps!
C.L.