How to Grow Antirrhinum
'DoubleShot Peach' from Seed
The F1 snapdragon that rewrites the rules — open-faced double flowers in warm peach-apricot on strong, heavily branched stems, built for cutting, perfect for the sunset palette, and flowering from June to October
If the classic closed-mouth snapdragon is the nostalgic favourite, 'DoubleShot Peach' is its sophisticated modern cousin — a completely different flower form on the same plant architecture. The open-faced double flowers bear little resemblance to the traditional snap-mouthed antirrhinum that most gardeners know: instead of a closed two-lipped flower, each bloom opens fully to reveal a fully double centre, more like a small azalea or a very dense peony flower than a conventional snapdragon. The effect is one of considerable opulence, particularly in the warm peachy-apricot tone that makes this variety so well-suited to the romantic, sunset and vintage colour palettes that define contemporary cutting garden aesthetics.
'DoubleShot Peach' is an F1 hybrid, bred by professional plant breeders specifically for commercial cut flower production and for demanding garden use. As a hybrid it carries genuine vigour — stronger cellular structure, improved disease resistance, more consistent branching, and a higher total flower count than open-pollinated varieties. The stems reach 45–50cm, self-supporting without staking, heavily branched and producing flowering spikes in succession throughout the growing season. It is, quite simply, one of the finest snapdragons available from seed.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Plant Type
Half-Hardy Annual (F1)
Sowing Time
Jan–Mar indoors · Aug–Sep for spring
Flowering Months
June – October
Position
Full sun
Height & Spread
45–50cm · 25cm
Difficulty Rating
3 out of 5 — Moderate
Understanding the Plant
The 'DoubleShot' series represents a significant development in antirrhinum breeding — a departure from the traditional closed-mouth snap-flower toward an open-faced fully double flower that is more floriferous, longer-lasting when cut, and fundamentally different in visual character. The open face means that pollinators can access the flowers without the force required to open a conventional snapdragon, making it attractive to a broader range of insects, though the snap-mechanism that makes bumblebees the specialist visitor of traditional varieties is absent.
As an F1 hybrid, 'DoubleShot Peach' cannot reliably reproduce true-to-type from saved seed — the offspring of hybrid plants revert unpredictably toward the parent varieties. This means fresh seed is needed each season, but the compensation is the uniformity, vigour and performance that hybrid breeding provides. Every plant in a batch of F1 seed performs consistently and predictably — reliable height, branching, flower colour and flowering time — which is one of the reasons this series has been adopted by commercial cut flower growers.
The Peach Colour — Why It Matters
Warm peach, apricot and coral tones have dominated cutting garden and interior styling trends for several years, and 'DoubleShot Peach' sits precisely in this palette — warm enough to complement roses, zinnias and dahlias in amber and coral shades, soft enough to work alongside cream, white and pale pink. The colour evolves subtly as the flowers age, with fresh blooms in a vivid warm peach fading to a softer apricot-cream, giving a planting that shifts beautifully across the season rather than remaining static.
Sow Earlier than Crown Mixed
The DoubleShot series benefits from an earlier sowing than most antirrhinum varieties — January to March rather than February to April — because the 14–16 week sowing-to-flowering period means a March sowing may not produce flowers until July or August. A January or February sowing, with the right warmth and light, brings flowers from June. If you have a heated propagator or warm greenhouse, sow in January for the earliest and longest season.
When & How to Sow
The sowing requirements for 'DoubleShot Peach' are identical to all antirrhinum varieties — surface sow with light access at consistent warmth — but the timing window starts earlier. January and February sowings produce the best-performing plants with the longest cutting season.
Timing Matters More Than for Standard Varieties
DoubleShot takes approximately 14–16 weeks from sowing to first flower. This means a January sowing flowers from May or June; February from June or July; March from July or August. For cutting garden use — where you want a continuous supply of stems from June onwards — a January or February sowing is strongly recommended. This is earlier than most antirrhinum varieties and requires a heated propagator to succeed in cold UK conditions.
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Sow on the surface of moist, fine seed compost. Do not cover — antirrhinum seed requires light to germinate. Press lightly to ensure good contact. A heated propagator at 20–22°C is strongly recommended for January and February sowings when windowsill temperatures may be too variable.
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Maintain 20–22°C consistently until germination. DoubleShot germinates in 10–14 days in ideal conditions, occasionally up to 21 days in cooler environments. Keep compost moist from below throughout. Do not allow the surface to dry between germination checks.
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Move to maximum light immediately after germination. DoubleShot seedlings are fine and draw quickly in poor light — a grow light or bright, south-facing greenhouse bench is ideal for January and February sowings when natural light is limited. Rotate windowsill pots daily.
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Pinch out at 10cm height. This is non-negotiable for cutting garden use — pinching transforms one stem into five or six, each of which produces a cutting-quality flower spike. The delay of ten to fourteen days in first flower is trivially small compared to the multiplication in total stem production.
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Pot on to 9–10cm pots as roots fill the module. DoubleShot is a vigorous F1 variety and grows quickly — pot on promptly to prevent plants becoming rootbound, which stresses the plant and delays flowering recovery.
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Harden off and plant out from late April to May. Space 25cm apart in full sun and well-drained soil. DoubleShot tolerates light cold but not hard frost — late April is the earliest safe planting date in most UK locations.
Growing On Tips
Full Sun Required
Full sun develops the warmest, most saturated peach-apricot colour. In shade, the colour becomes significantly paler and the stems weaker. A south or west-facing position is ideal. Minimum six hours of direct sun daily for the best cutting-quality stems.
Cutting Technique
For the vase, cut when the lowest one-third of the flower spike is open — not tight bud (insufficient opening in water) and not fully open (reduced vase life). Cut early in the morning with long stems to a side shoot junction. Condition in deep cool water in a dark, cool place for several hours before arranging. Vase life is typically seven to twelve days — longer than single-flowered varieties.
Feeding for Cutting
For cutting garden use, feed fortnightly from June with a balanced liquid fertiliser, switching to a high-potash feed from July. Cutting-garden plants benefit from more regular feeding than border plants because the continuous removal of flowering stems places significant demands on the plant's energy reserves through the season.
No Seed Saving
As an F1 hybrid, seed saved from 'DoubleShot Peach' will not produce true-to-type offspring — the resulting seedlings revert to unpredictable combinations of the parent varieties. Fresh seed is needed each season, which is the trade-off for the uniformity and vigour that hybrid breeding delivers. Order seed fresh each year for consistent performance.
Cold Tolerance
DoubleShot is described as tolerant of low temperatures and can be sold as a plant from April onwards even when overnight temperatures are still cool. Established plants in the ground tolerate light frosts reasonably well, but seedlings and newly transplanted plants are more vulnerable. A frost cloth or cloche during cold snaps in April and May protects the investment in the crop.
Succession Sowing
For a continuous supply of cutting stems across the whole season, make two sowings — one in January or February for June–August flowers, and a second in August or September for overwintering in a cold frame, producing fresh cutting stems from April or May the following year. The two waves together cover the full cottage garden cutting season without any gap.
Common Problems & How to Fix Them
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| No germination | Seed covered, too cool, or insufficient light | Surface sow without covering at 20–22°C with good light access. January sowings particularly need consistent warmth — a heated propagator rather than a cold windowsill. Germination takes up to 21 days; be patient. |
| Late or no flowers | Sown too late in the season | DoubleShot needs 14–16 weeks from sowing to first flower — significantly longer than many annuals. A March sowing may not flower until late July or August. Sow in January or February for June flowers, or switch to an autumn sowing for the following spring. |
| Flowers don't look double | Stress, cold, or seed variation | Plants under stress — from cold, drought, or root restriction — may produce semi-double or single flowers. Ensure consistent growing conditions, adequate feeding, and no rootbounding. F1 varieties generally produce very consistent results when grown well. |
| Rust (orange pustules) | Snapdragon rust fungus | Remove affected leaves promptly. Ensure good airflow through correct spacing. Avoid overhead watering. DoubleShot has reasonable resistance but is not immune. A preventive copper-based fungicide spray in mid-summer helps in susceptible conditions. |
| Stems curve after cutting | Geotropic response — gravity-driven stem bending | Snapdragon stems respond to gravity and will curve upward if laid horizontally — this is called geotropism. Always keep cut stems strictly vertical in a bucket of water after harvesting and throughout conditioning and arranging. Stems laid flat in a car or on a table for even an hour will develop a permanent curve that cannot be straightened. |
When to Expect Flowers
DoubleShot Peach takes 14–16 weeks from sowing to first flower — longer than most antirrhinum varieties and most cutting garden annuals. A January sowing flowers from May or June; February from June or July. Once flowering begins, the heavily branched plant produces stems in succession continuously until the first hard frosts arrive in October, providing a long and productive cutting season from a single sowing. Regular cutting actively encourages further stem production — the more you cut, the more it produces.
Sow indoors from January — DoubleShot needs a longer lead time than most annuals, but rewards the early sowing with flowers from June and a continuous supply of cutting stems through to October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
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| 🌱 Sow Indoors |
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| 🪴 Plant Out |
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| 🍑 Flowering |
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Plant Specifications
The snapdragon that florists reach for first
Antirrhinum 'DoubleShot Peach' occupies a specific and valuable niche in the cutting garden — the warm, romantic, sunset palette that works with roses, dahlias, zinnias and cosmos in amber and coral, in open-faced double flowers that last longer in the vase than conventional snapdragons and that present with a lushness and fullness that single-flowered varieties cannot match. Sow in January for the longest season, pinch out for multiple stems, and keep cut stems vertical — then sit back and enjoy one of the finest cutting annuals you can grow from seed.
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