One night, at a birthday party not too long ago, I told a few of my cousins about the dog flower. The flower opens up just like how a dog would open its mouth while barking or trying to bite someone. Due to these unique characteristics, it is locally known to many as the Kutta phool.

To my dismay, one of my cousins cracked the joke that I might have been bitten by that flower and another one followed it up by diagnosing me as a case of floral rabies. That night, punchlines continued to flow and flourish till we returned home!

The dog flower or Kutta phool is part of the antirrhinum genus of plants. Few other common names outside the Subcontinent include the common snapdragon flower. Antirrhinum is originally a Greek word, which means snout.

These names allude to one unique trait of this flower, that it has a nose-and-mouth-like shape. When the base of the dog flower is pressed between the thumb and the index finger, the petals and upper part of the flower separates in two, just like lips would, with the space in between forming a tubular hollow, while still being joined at the edges.

The dog flower or Kutta phool is a highly sought, uniquely shaped flower used as a decorative item for gardens and in bouquets

When one releases the pressure on the fingers, the flower instantly comes back to its original shape. When this is done a few times repeatedly, it mimics a dog barking. However, one should be careful not to damage the flower in the excitement and be as gentle as possible.

Along with pansy, petunia, marigold and few others, antirrhinum are among the most favoured flower plants locally, which can be kept and grown in a very small place and even in a four-inch clay pot. For many, they are the go-to plants and are high in demand at plant nurseries, particularly before a household event or celebrations like Eid. It is also one of the most commonly used cut flowers for bouquets and vases to decorate the home.

Scientifically known as antirrhinum majus, the dog flower plant belongs to the family Plantaginaceae. The dog flower plant is filled with upright stalks, with flowers at the end. When in full bloom, it somewhat gives an impression of a bouquet growing from a pot!

The dog flowers come in an array of colours. Solid and intense colour shades, ranging from white to red, peach to orange, maroon to purple and everything in between, make the dog flower a must have to give one’s garden a happy, colourful look. Many dog flower plants also have dual colours to offer within the same flower, which makes them even lovelier to look at.

Although these are relatively small flowering plants, as compared to roses and sunflowers, the dog flowers usually exist in three distinct categories locally. The smallest of these is known as the dwarf variety, which is usually grown in small clay pots to line the house passage walls or in plastic containers to be kept on the window railings. The dwarf variety is usually less than a foot tall.

The other two dog flower varieties are the intermediate plants and the tall plants, with both significantly used to create mixed-colour flower beds and borders for one’s gardens, especially in parks.

The intermediate variety of dog flower reaches the height of one foot to two feet, while the giant variety is usually taller than two feet. All these varieties have shiny, dark green, lance-shaped leaves that provide a beautiful colour contrast.

Regardless of the dog flower’s array of colours, the flower usually does not offer any sweet or characteristic scent, which is a big turn off for those who would otherwise adore roses and jasmine for their sweet-scented offerings.

Dog flowers may also be used in cooking. These picture-perfect flowers are used to decorate cakes and desserts in European countries while, locally, they are used for garnishing and to decorate salads. The flower, although edible, has a bitter, mustard-like taste, which does not go down well with children.

In our upcoming articles, we will see how one can easily grow different varieties of these beautiful and colourful flowers at home. The articles would also tell you how to sow the seeds or propagate the branches of the snapdragon plant. We will also discuss the sowing and planting techniques, sunlight and watering requirements, the fertilisers and food for the plant and, finally, the remedies to save the dog flower plant from any unwanted attacks of bugs and critters.

Please send your queries and emails to doctree101@hotmail.com. The writer is a physician and a host for the YouTube channel ‘DocTree Gardening’ promoting organic kitchen gardening

Published in Dawn, EOS, April 14th, 2024