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By Kymberly Taylor
The cleome is one of the most complex and beautiful flowers brightening the fall garden. Commonly called ‘spider flower,’ Cleome hassleriana is a self-seeding annual that rises like a dependable pink cloud. Shapely bi-colored blossoms hold their form from June through October. Native to South America, the cleome is especially easy to grow in Maryland because it loves heat, is drought tolerant, and, glory be, is resistant to deer and rabbits! This tall beauty, sometimes reaching 6 feet, thrives in average soil and full sun. Plant in late spring or summer in 3- to 4-foot “drifts” to create swirls of color. Water until established, then sit back, relax, and enjoy.
There is much to observe as the cleome develops. In fact, the more you stare at a cleome, the harder it becomes to look away. When you get right down to it, the cleome reminds me of a well-dressed aunt who is a little “extra”—the one who arrives at the party wearing an expensive hat subtly adorned with a tame chickadee. Long pink and white threadlike stamens 4 to 6 inches long unfurl, beginning at the bottom of the large dome-shaped flower head and progressing to the top. Before you know it, astonishing whisker-like seed pods sprout in between the blossoms and extend well beyond the entire plant, sticking out every which way like flamboyant hat pins, spider legs, or otherworldly antennae. This is the “extra” I am referring to! Look closer, and you’ll find alternating leaves that cover the entire flower stalk. Like a series of ruffles, they shrink in size as they ascend, becoming miniature “leaflets.”
Visit your cleome often. As the season progresses, the slender “whiskers” fill out to become pods no thicker than an eyebrow before finally bursting, spilling thousands of tiny seeds just as the last blossoms disappear. What is impressive about the cleome is nature’s creative packaging. With its whiskers, ruffles, and enduring blooms, it seems imperial, even queenly, and especially equipped to survive. Overnight, a tulip will drop her petals or relinquish them to a strong wind. Black-eyed Susans peak gloriously and then darken with age. Not so with the cleome. The sepals die very slowly, beginning with the lower blossoms and ending with the tip-top, providing food for the last pollinators. The cleome lives fully and dies gracefully, holding our interest with quivering seed pods that empty to ensure it will rise again next year.
Cleome’s nectar attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinating insects. Watch for the rare hummingbird moth, which visits at dusk.
© Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 15, No. 5 2024