Cleome (Spider Flower)
Cleome hassleriana
Family Cleomaceae
Airy heads of whiskery blossoms float on tall stems all summer — that's how cleome earned the name spider flower, long stamens trailing like silk from pink, white, and rose clusters that keep coming through heat that stalls everything else in the border.
Give it the back row and it repays you at both ends of the day — bees work the flowers in sunlight, hummingbirds and hawk moths take the dusk shift. Old varieties self-sow into a returning colony; the tidy Señorita types stay put. Either way, one packet of seed is enough.
Full Sun
Low water
Fast growth
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts bees
None winter chill
From the print shop
Growing cleome (spider flower)? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries cleome (spider flower) — Cleome hassleriana, print Nº 116, “Cleome (Spider Flower).”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what cleome (spider flower) actually needs.
Life cycleAnnualCleome (Spider Flower) · Common problems
Common cleome (spider flower) problems
Pests
2 problems on file
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Cleome (Spider Flower) · Growing & propagation
Growing cleome (spider flower)
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low-Moderate
Heat- and drought-tough
Soil- Any well-drained · pH 6.0 - 7.0
Fertilizer- Light
Pruning- Deadhead to reduce self-sowing
A tall, airy, old-fashioned annual that blooms nonstop from summer to frost in pink, white, or violet 'spider' heads with long whiskery stamens — feeding hummingbirds and hawk moths at dusk and bees by day. Heat- and drought-proof, it anchors the back of a bed with height and movement. It self-sows enthusiastically (deadhead if you don't want volunteers) — the modern 'Señorita' types are sterile and thornless.
Spacing- 18-24 in
How to plant & propagate cleome (spider flower)
Maturity- 70-85 days
From seed- Direct-sow
Cold helps); self-sows (old types
- Propagate
- From seed
Cleome (Spider Flower) · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Cleome (Spider Flower) · Yearly calendar
The cleome (spider flower) year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomJune to August
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Cleome (Spider Flower) · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Cleome hassleriana
Cleome (Spider Flower) in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer annual
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Hummingbirds, Bees, Birds
Moisture- Upland / dry
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What cleome (spider flower) is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenMildly sticky/scented foliage; not for eating
Use- Tall summer bloom
- Use
- Hummingbirds & moths
- Use
- Back-of-border
Harvesting & storing cleome (spider flower)
Ornamental; reseeds. About 70-85 days from planting.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Cleome (Spider Flower) · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a cleome (spider flower) variety
'Queen' series (classic, self-sows, some thorns); 'Señorita Rosalita'/'Blanca' (sterile, thornless, tidy)
Sources & plant identity
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Cleome (Spider Flower)
Cleome hassleriana
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Cleome hassleriana
- Plant family
- Cleomaceae
- Growth habit
- Annual
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- CLHA
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Cleome (Spider Flower) questions, answered straight.
Is cleome (spider flower) safe for kids and pets?
Cleome (Spider Flower) is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: Mildly sticky/scented foliage; not for eating. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest cleome (spider flower)?
Ornamental; reseeds. From planting, expect about 70-85 days to maturity.
How do you propagate cleome (spider flower)?
From seed.
Elsewhere
Where cleome (spider flower) sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily