Common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

Common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) is a perennial plant that can grow 10cm – 50cm tall and 10cm – 50cm wide. In this growing guide we’ll learn the cultivation details and how to plant Common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris).

This plant has several common names including: common toadflax, bread and butter, brideweed, bridewort, butter and eggs, butter haycocks, continental weed, dragon bushes, eggs and bacon, eggs and butter, false flax, flaxweed, gallweed, gallwort, imprudent lawyer, impudent lawyer, Jacob’s ladder, lion’s mouth, North American ramsted, rancid, ransted, wild flax, wild snapdragon, yellow rod or yellow toadflax.

This is a deciduous plant that takes 2-5 years to reach full maturity.

Plant profile

Common name: common toadflax, bread and butter, brideweed, bridewort, butter and eggs, butter haycocks, continental weed, dragon bushes, eggs and bacon, eggs and butter, false flax, flaxweed, gallweed, gallwort, imprudent lawyer, impudent lawyer, Jacob’s ladder, lion’s mouth, North American ramsted, rancid, ransted, wild flax, wild snapdragon, yellow rod, yellow toadflax
Scientific name: Linaria vulgaris
Plant type: Perennials
Habit: Columnar / Upright
Height: 10cm – 50cm
Spread: 10cm – 50cm
Foliage: Deciduous
Sunlight: Full Sun
Soil: Loam, Sand
Moisture: Well drained
Garden type: Informal Garden, Wildflower meadow, Wildlife Gardens
Planting type: Flower borders and bedding, Low Maintenance
Other characteristics: Plants for pollinators

Seasonal colors

How to plant Common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) – Syrio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Perennial plants are one of the largest groups of plants.

They offer color, shape, fragrance and seasonal textures. The variety is such that there are plants to suit all sizes and styles of garden.

Traditionally, perennials are grown in borders, using a wall or hedge as a backdrop to bring out all their splendor during summer.

But since most gardens are not large enough for long borders dedicated exclusively to perennials, they are usually planted in mixed borders and beds, along with shrubs, annuals, biennials, and bulbs that extend the season of interest.

How to plant

In this section we will learn how to plant Common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris), know its needs in terms of soil, watering and sun exposure.

Soil

Common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) is a plant that prefers to grow in loam or sand.

• The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals. It offers the best of all worlds, retaining enough water for the plants, but allowing excess moisture to drain away. This is the most desired type of garden soil, perfect for most plants.

• Sandy soil is light, porous and very easy to drain. It is a soil poor in organic matter and nutrients. It is composed of relatively large mineral particles that allow water to drain quickly.

It is not very sensitive to soil acidity or alkalinity and grows well in soils with pH acid, alkaline or neutral.

Regarding drainage, Linaria vulgaris likes to grow in well drained soil.

Sunlight

Common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) should be grown in full sun places.

Cultivation profiles – Growing Common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) – Syrio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons