Linaria vulgaris - Common Toadflax

A summer plant, blooming from mid June until late October or even November, this perennial loves wasteland but is also to be seen in hedgerows and on well drained grassy banks. It flowers at the same time as its close relative Pale Toadflax, Linaria repens.

A lovely group of Common Toadflax

This plant copes better than most with dry spells. Bees love it, but have some difficulty extracting nectar from the long spurs. (Some people mistake the toadflax family for 'snapdragons', and this spur behind the flower head is a helpful distinguishing feature.)

As the flowers mature, the orange patch on the mouth becomes more noticeable.

Common Toadflax is common throughout the UK and Ireland an in many European countries including Slovenia.

The plants on this page were photographed in West Wales in July.