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Cleomaceae
Cleome
Cleome hassleriana
Mystery, escape, elusiveness.
- Family
- Cleomaceae
- Genus
- Cleome
- Native to
- South America
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- Annual
- Height
- 90–150 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low to moderate; drought-tolerant
- Hardiness
- Annual everywhere
- Lifespan
- One season; self-seeds aggressively
Did you know
- Cleome is nicknamed 'spider flower' for its long, dangling stamens and seedpods that arch out from the flower head like spider legs.
- The flower opens from the bottom up, so each stem displays buds, open flowers, and slender seedpods all at once — botanists call it indeterminate.
- It releases a slightly skunky scent when touched, which deters deer and rabbits but attracts hummingbirds and night-flying moths.
- Each flower lasts only a single day, but a healthy plant produces fresh blooms continuously from June until frost.
- Cleome self-sows so reliably that one packet of seeds can become a permanent colony in a sunny garden corner.
Color meanings
Pink
Whimsical beauty