Cleome hasslerana is a half-hardy annual native to the southern states of North America and to Brazil and Argentina in South America. They belong to the Capparidaceae family, which contains about 70 species mostly from the tropical or subtropical regions.
Some common names for this old time cottage garden favorite include: Spider Flower, Spider Legs and Grandfather's Whiskers. The common names refer to the long stamens which come out of the flower resembling a spider, or from the long seed pods that dangle and look like spider legs.
Blooming from summer until frost, their numerous rose, white, pink, or lavender flowers are held on tall, strong leafy stems. The blooms are large, up to 6 inches across with a spider-like appearance from their long, waving protruding stamens. Bees and Hummingbirds love them.
Flowers are pleasantly scented, and continue opening from the ends of the stems throughout the season and leave behind ornamental seed pods. They make excellent cut flowers if conditioned by soaking them in very warm water, but their musky scent is sometimes not pleasant. For the same reason, you may not want to plant them near windows and doors.
Cleomes are best admired at a little distance because their stems are thorny and the foliage is prickly and foul-scented. Their palmately compound foliage gives an added sense of serenity beneath the showy inflorescences.
Leaves sort of resemble a Japanese Maple leaf and are composed of 5 leaflets each 5 to 6 inches long, usually with a pair of tiny thorn-like spines at base of each leaflet. Lower leaves of the plant tend to fall off by the end of summer, and can be covered by companion plants.
Cleome grow quickly and reseed very easily, which means they could become a pest. To prevent them from self-sowing, remove the seed pods. This plant can be utilized in the garden to provide quite a backdrop to any flower bed, beside a wall or along a fence. Also very effective as a temporary shrub or hedge.
One of their best attributes is that they are easily grown and normally trouble free, with no insects or diseases to worry about. They are an excellent annual for hot areas where other late summer plants will wilt under the torrid sun. Cleome are quite vigorous and stand out robust and strong, compared to many other annuals.
The plant responds to regular watering and fertilizing and needs plenty of room to spread. Staking is not usually necessary, but protection from strong winds is advisable. Planted in mass, they look like blooming shrubbery with 8-inch balls of blossoms.
Start seeds indoors four weeks before the last frost date or plant them directly into the garden outdoors in spring, after danger of frost has passed. The seeds germinate in one to two weeks at 70 to 75 °F. Do not cover the seed but press it into the soil. Pinch young plants to keep them short.
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