Antirrhinum majus is native to the Mediterranean Basin and grows wild in Greece.  It has become a popular garden plant throughout most of the world and in a conducive climate will escape again into the wild. The plants with deep magenta flowers are considered to be the true wild variety but flowers varying from white, through pale pink to magenta occur in Skopelos, not only in the vicinity of the villages but also in the fields. They need little soil to establish and frequently grow in walls or even on rooftops.

The flowers are beloved by children because of the way they open when squeezed gently, to resemble snapping jaws. This gives rise to the name snapdragon in English and skilaki, meaning little dog, in Greek.

The flower can only be fertilised by bumble bees, as honey bees and most other insects are too light to trigger the opening mechanism, allowing the bee to enter the centre of the flower to transfer pollen to the stigma. Honey bees, however, do enter the flowers from the side, or even bite a hole in the tube of the flower to steal the sweet nectar.