"Cleome" A New-To-Us Plant

Our dear gardening friend, Mamie, shared her Cleome plants with us this spring. Thank you Miss Mamie. This was a new experience for this gardener and the results are pictured here.    Pronunciation is: klēˈōmē

Cleome, or spider flower, is an annual known for its exceedingly long seedpods. They develop below the flowers as blooms progresses upward on the stalk to give the plants a spidery look, as do the projecting stamens of the flowers.

Cleome is a showy annual that is fragrant, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Before sowing cleome seeds in the spring, they need to go through "stratification."  In horticulture, stratification is the process of pre-treating seeds to simulate natural winter conditions that a seed must endure before germination. Many seed species undergo an embryonic dormancy phase, and generally will not sprout until this dormancy is broken. 

 

You can save seeds for new plants or for friends. Begin watching your blooming cleomes during the summer when seed pods begin to develop. The slim, bright green, elongated pods are about 2 inches in length and resemble a cat's whiskers. They'll turn a light tan color and feel dry to the touch when the seeds are mature enough to harvest.

Choose a warm, sunny day with no rain in the forecast. The pods should be picked when the weather is dry to reduce the chances of mildew forming on the seeds because of moisture collected from the air. Pluck a sample pod and roll it between your fingers. If mature, it will release hundreds of tiny black seeds into your hand.

Pick a few mature pods and take them indoors. Hold one over a bowl and roll it between your fingers to release the seeds into the bowl. Dump the seeds into a clean glass jar. Cap it tightly. Label it with the seed variety and the date. Store the cleome seeds in the refrigerator until you're ready to plant next year or share with others.

Latin Name:  A member of the Capparaceae family, genus Cleome

Common Names:  Spider Flower, Rocky Mountain Beeplant, Stinking Clover

Zone: All growing zones; perennial in zones 10 and 11

Size: 3 to 6 feet tall

Exposure: Cleome flowers grow best in full sun, as shady conditions can make them grow so tall as to topple over.

Latin Name:  A member of the Capparaceae family, genus Cleome

Common Names:  Spider Flower, Rocky Mountain Beeplant, Stinking Clover

Zone:  All growing zones; perennial in zones 10 and 11

Size:  3 to 6 feet tall

Exposure:  Cleome flowers grow best in full sun, as shady conditions can make them grow so tall as to topple over.

Bloom Period:  Mid to late June, depending on the climate