They’re beautiful when alive but once they shrivel up and die,
things get a bit creepy.
Meet the Snapdragon flower seed pod which bears the
stark appearance of a human skull (or a human face screaming in
agony).
The Snapdragon flower (aka Antirrhinum or dragon
flower) can be found in many household gardens and gets its
name from its flower which resembles a dragon’s head (squeeze the
snapdragon flower and the “dragon” mouth will open and close making
it “talk”). Yet once the flower has died it leaves behind a seed
pod with the macabre appearance of a human head
The Snapdragons name (Antirrhinum) comes from the Greek words
“anti,” meaning like, and “rhin,” meaning
nose. Many years ago, people thought the plant
possessed mystical powers and would place them around their
homes to shield the house from curses and witches. In Victorian
days, the flower was a symbol of deception, suspicion, and mystery.
Legend has it that concealing a snapdragon in your clothes makes a
person appear fascinating, gracious, and cordial. Today they
are a favorite in gardens around Europe, United States, and North
Africa because, well, they look like dragon heads!
If you are itching to grow one, know that they are cold-season
plants that do best in the sunlight. You can plant them right
before the spring season starts. Keep them well watered for the
first few weeks and after that, give them about 1 inch of water
every week. When grown, they stand from 6 inches up to 3 feet tall.
When dead they’ll leave behind the creepy tokens you can collect
for display.
