News Release Distributed 05/06/10

By LSU AgCenter Horticulturists Dan Gill and Allen Owings

Angelonias are one of the top new herbaceous ornamental plants over the past 10 years. Some of us may not have been familiar with angelonias until recently, and many gardeners are probably still somewhat unfamiliar with this new plant. Angelonias are also referred to by the common name of “summer snapdragon.”

Angelonias are tough, sustainable plants. It is best to wait to plant them until later in the spring. You can plant angelonias through May and June in Louisiana. They do best in the hot days and warm nights of our Louisiana summers.

Select a full-sun location with adequately drained soil. Angelonias have very good drought tolerance once they’re established. Use a slow release fertilizer at planting. Expect plants to begin flowering shortly after being added to the landscape – flowering will continue until first killing frost if conditions and cultural practices are correct.

Expect angelonias to be an annual plant, although they can take winter growing conditions in hardiness zone 8B and higher – roughly from Rapides Parish south.

Although they did not survive this past winter, angelonias can normally tolerate 25-30 degrees. In the Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, New Orleans and Lafayette areas, angelonias can sometimes come back after mild or slightly warmer-than-normal winters, especially if the plants are located in a well-drained bed in a protected area of the landscape. In central and north Louisiana, they are probably best treated as annuals.

One of the older varieties of angelonia is Hilo Princess. New varieties include the Angelface series from Proven Winners and the AngelMist series from Ball FloraPlant. All of these varieties are vegetatively propagated by stem cuttings. The best of the angelonias in LSU AgCenter landscape evaluations is the Serena series. These are seed-propagated and widely available at garden centers around the state.

Varieties in these series come in many flower colors – purple stripe, deep plum, white, purple, orchid, lavender stripe, lavender, light pink and others. Growth habit is also changing with new varieties being introduced. You can select angelonias that have taller, intermediate or now “basket” (ground cover, spreading) habits. Most typical landscape-type angelonias will reach a height of 18-24 inches with flower spikes extending slightly above the top of the plant canopy.

Angelonias are great, low-maintenance, no-fuss plants. They do not have to be dead-headed to continue to bloom from planting time until the first killing frost. Angelonias make a great addition to a “cottage garden” flower bed. They also attract butterflies. You can be assured angelonias will be good performers and give you some “snapdragons” in your landscape during the hot summer months.

Visit LaHouse in Baton Rouge to see sustainable landscape practices in action. The home and landscape resource center is near the intersection of Burbank Drive and Nicholson Drive (Louisiana Highway 30) in Baton Rouge, across the street from the LSU baseball stadium. For more information, go to www.louisianahouse.org and www.lsuagcenter.com/lyn.

Rick Bogren