Cleome

One of my favorite sisters, Helen, got me hooked on the Cleome, sometimes called 'spider' flower. It is another annual that I use as a filler.

The yellow flowers in bloom here are lilies. Ignore them for now and we'll talk more about them in the spring.

Cleome bloom on the top of tall spikes from the bottom upwards. The bottoms begin to set seed prior to the top of the stem blooming. Between this and the fact that the stamens are long and wiry, it gets the name "spider flower'.

It's a good plant that loves full sun. It is somewhat drought tolerant, but will do much, much better if it's watered during dry spells. The entire bloom is ball-shaped with individual small blooms forming the ball. Technically, this characteristic is called 'racemes'. These balls, or racemes, are sometimes six inches in diameter and you'll have many on one plant.

Because of their height, they make a fantastic back of the border plant. I like to plant them in front of the sunflowers . . .the two together makes a beautiful sight! The leaves will begin to turn brown and the stems will get leggy toward the end of summer, but since they're used at the back of the border, these drawbacks are barely noticeable. Some gardeners say they grow these plants up to six feet tall; however, about four feet is as high as I've ever gotten them.

I find the leaf of the cleome almost as interesting as the flower. Atop a long, spiky petiole the six-petaled bracts fill in the plants. The inside bracts are very small with each succeeding bract getting larger. Of course the top bract is the largest. This arrangement of leaves plus the quantity of bracts keep the cleome looking full until mid-fall.

Because of their musky odor, Cleome is not recommended for cut flowers in closed areas . But they work great on a porch or patio. Soak the stems in warm water to condition them prior to making your arrangement - and enjoy!

Insects and disease are not a problem with this plant.



Cleome Seed Pods



Even though they reseed prolifically, it's advisable to start with new plants each year. Most of the cleomes today are hybrids and the new plants won't be true to the parent plant. I've never tried to root these stems . . .but I don't see any reason why you couldn't. And since they are pricey (considering they're annuals), you might want to give stem rooting a try. They cost from $5 to $8 a PLANT, depending on whether you buy them from the big box stores or an independent nursery.

In my next post, I'll show you how I keep tender annuals and perennials over winter. My method is not one that everyone can use, but it works great for me!