FlowerSnapdragon
Madame Butterfly Mixture Snapdragon
Madame Butterfly Mixture Snapdragon is a vibrant hybrid that earned recognition as a 2016 Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) winner, a testament to its exceptional garden performance. These bushy plants reach 24 to 36 inches tall and produce fragrant, uniform flowers across a stunning color mixture throughout the summer. Growing 115 to 121 days to maturity, they thrive in full sun across zones 6 through 11 and deliver the kind of continuous, abundant blooms that transform ordinary summer beds into show-stopping displays. The flowers are equally at home in a vase indoors or brightening traditional garden borders, and the petals themselves are edible, adding an unexpected culinary dimension to this ornamental standout.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
6-11
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam
Growth Stats
36 in
Height
TypeBush
Spacing
12
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
6-11
Size
36in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
This 2016 ASCFG award winner lives up to its accolades by producing consistently vibrant, fragrant flowers in a rich mixture of colors that bloom reliably all summer long. The uniform growth and abundant flowering make it a serious contender for gardeners wanting garden-to-table elegance without sacrificing visual impact. The edible flowers add a delightful surprise to the package, allowing you to harvest blooms for both arrangements and culinary garnishes from the same plants.
Common Uses
Madame Butterfly Mixture is primarily grown as a cut flower and garden ornamental, with flowers that shine in fresh arrangements and as traditional summer bedding displays. The edible flowers serve as stunning garnishes for salads, desserts, and cocktails, combining visual elegance with culinary flair. Many gardeners grow this variety specifically for continuous harvesting of bouquets throughout the growing season, enjoying both the aesthetic reward of indoor arrangements and the satisfaction of having home-grown flowers on the table.
Growing Timeline
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Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Snapdragon seeds are tiny and need light to germinate, so press them gently into the soil surface without covering them completely. Keep soil consistently moist and warm, around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and expect germination in 10 to 14 days. Provide bright indirect light once seedlings emerge, and thin seedlings so they have adequate space to develop strong root systems before transplanting.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions before planting. Transplant outdoors after your last spring frost when soil has warmed and daytime temperatures consistently reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Space plants 12 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart. Water thoroughly after transplanting and keep soil consistently moist during the first few weeks as plants establish.
Direct Sow
Direct sow snapdragon seeds outdoors after the last frost date once soil temperatures reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Press seeds lightly into prepared soil without burying them, as they need light for germination. Keep the seedbed consistently moist until seedlings are established, then thin to 12 inches apart.
Harvesting
Harvest flowers by cutting stems in the early morning when blooms are fully open but still firm to the touch. Cut stems at least 6 inches long, removing foliage from the lower portion before placing in water. For the longest vase life, harvest just as the bottom florets on the spike begin to open. Edible flowers can be harvested and used fresh immediately or refrigerated in an airtight container for a few days.
Pruning
Pinch the growing tips of young plants when they reach 6 inches tall to encourage branching and create fuller, bushier plants with more flower stems. Deadhead faded flowers regularly throughout the season to prevent seed set and redirect energy into continuous flower production. Remove any dead or diseased foliage at the base of plants to maintain good air circulation and overall plant health.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Antirrhinum majus
Family
Plantaginaceae
Genus
Antirrhinum
Growth Habit
Bush
Native Status
L48 (I)CAN (I)
History & Origin
“Madame Butterfly Mixture represents the modern hybrid snapdragon at its finest. In 2016, this variety earned official recognition from the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG), an honor that validates its superior performance as both a garden ornamental and a cut flower. The recognition signals that professional growers and breeding programs have refined this strain to excel where it matters most: in consistent color expression, flower uniformity, fragrance intensity, and season-long production. This award speaks to careful selection and hybridization work aimed at creating snapdragons that perform as reliably for home gardeners as they do for commercial operations.”