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Plant Propagation

Baby Plant or Clone?

17 years ago

I bought some snapdragons last spring that I absolutely love! Bought them at a plant sale, so I don't know their exact name, or if they are annuals or perennials, but I figure I'll be finding out shortly. On the other hand, I don't ever want to lose them and they're extremely easy to propagate -- just cut some, stick them in a vase to enjoy as cut flowers, and they take off for the ceiling and root within the five days the typical bouquet looks good for me. (Really cool, since every time I cut some, two stems develop where there used to be one!) So now, I have more of them growing in new containers, so I'm wondering...

Assuming these are annual snapdragons, are the propagations new plants, ready to live their one year life, or are they clones of the old plant, and already have spent their five months, so will die about the same time as the originals?

I can easily keep propagating these plants for the rest of my life, if they are new plants, but it would be silly to keep propagating the propagated, if it's equivalent to clones.

Below is a link to a photo of them, if it helps. They're on the third column, third to last photo. (I like purple. LOL)

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Garden Gems

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Comments (3)

georgez5il
17 years ago
Many are perennials GROWN AS annuals.... they are a zone 7 perenniaal but in zone 1 through 6 they would act as annuals
alSO cuttings are "clones" but their "death" will result from cold temperatures rather than age.
geoforce
17 years ago
Snapdragons grow as perennials in many areas of the country. I've seen them as small shrubs in Tucson, Arizona while I was in graduate school there. If you have a favorite, keeping it going as a cutting should work fine.

George
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valentinetbear
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for your answers. I checked a planting zone chart, which says that zone 7 doesn't get below 10F. In my zone 6, it says we don't get below 0. If I'm not mistaken, it hasn't hit 0 around here since the late 1970s, and that was in the burbs! I now live in the city. (Cities are usually about 3 degrees warmer then burbs and sticks.)

Now, since my yard is concrete, I'm a container gardener, which automatically lowers soil temperature in winter more then ground temperature, so I'd have to protect the container by insulating it, typically done by me with contractor plastic bags and mulch between the air and the container. Having them in three separate containers, I think I'll try to cover up a couple to keep them warm enough for winter, and bring one in, to see if I can't keep it blooming throughout the winter.

Anyone want to guess if I should cut them back to the ground or just cover them, as is, with mulch?

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