Cleome, Spider Flower: Sowing, Planting, Cultivation
Contents
The Spider Flower in a few words
- Cleome is one of the most graceful annual flowers
- Its unique flowering lasts all summer
- Fast-growing, it adds volume and colour in just one season
- It thrives in sunny, warm conditions with cool roots
- Perfect for romantic container displays and adding airy lightness to flower beds
Our expert's advice
The Cleome or “Spider Flower”, also called Cleome spinosa or Pink Cleome, is a tall annual plant offering a long, graceful flowering period with prominent stamens that give it a distinctive appearance. Not perennial, Cleome is the star of ephemerally charming flower beds, to be recreated each year for an evolving, lively garden.
Exquisitely refined, its white, pink, purple or rose-pink flowers, crowned with conspicuous stamens, bloom continuously throughout summer in flower beds, from June until early autumn.
With its stately and singular silhouette, delicate hues and exuberant foliage, it is essential in summer compositions with romantic, exotic or wilder inspirations.
From Cleome spinosa, also called Spiny Cleome (or Cleome hassleriana), to white Cleome or the Cleome ‘Senorita Rosalita’ with its beautiful mauve-pink clusters, Cleome is indispensable for adding height and lightness to flower beds.
Cleome is one of the most effective annuals for creating, in just one season, a floriferous border alongside shrub beds, a background that is both dense and airy, or a romantic container display.
This tropical-origin annual will prove prolific when planted in full sun in fertile, loose, moist and well-drained soil.
Discover our Cleome plug plants or our collection of Cleome seeds, this easy annual that will delight impatient beginner gardeners!
Description and botany
Botanical data
- Latin name Cleome, Cleome pungens, syn. Cleome spinosa, syn. Cleome hassleriana
- Family Capparaceae
- Common name spider flower, grandfather's whiskers
- Flowering from June until autumn
- Height 0.60 to 1.50 m
- Exposure Full sun
- Soil type All types, well-drained
- Hardiness not hardy
The Cleome, also called “spider flower”, is a plant native to the sandy plains and valleys of tropical regions in South America. Not being frost-hardy, it is grown as an annual in our climates as it cannot tolerate frost and doesn’t survive temperatures below 6-8°C. Like its cousin the caper bush, it belongs to the Capparaceae family and can be found naturalised in other parts of the world, in wastelands and on low-altitude slopes.
The genus includes about 150 species, but only the type species, Cleome spinosa, also called spiny spiderflower (syn. Cleome pungens, C. hassleriana), from which many varieties originate, is cultivated in our latitudes.
With rapid growth, cleome quickly forms a beautiful clump with an upright, bushy and dense habit, reaching over 1 m in height and spreading up to 45 cm wide.
On tall, hairy to spiny and slightly sticky branched stems, large palmate leaves unfold, measuring 10 to 12 cm long with scalloped margins. Borne on long, spiny petioles at their base, they are divided into 3 to 7 oval to lanceolate, downy leaflets, ending in a long, tapered point. Some cultivars are spineless. This fine, deciduous foliage, bright green to dark green, disappears during the unfavourable season.
On this lush vegetation, both compact yet very light, astonishing inflorescences, remarkable for their architecture and delicacy, appear. Abundant and delicate, they bloom continuously from June until the first frosts.
Grouped in loose terminal clusters, the flowers amaze with their sophisticated structure.
Cleome – botanical illustration
Each flower opens into four delicate petals from which emerge very long, protruding stamens, slender and elegant, extending well beyond the corolla. These prominent filaments give the plant a tousled and refined appearance reminiscent of mustard flowers.
With this particularly long, spider-like flowering period, cleome ranks among the most beautiful annual flowers. Numerous, they measure 1 to 10 cm in diameter. Their colour varies, depending on the species, from pure white to pink, lilac and purple. Some cultivars like Cleome spinosa ‘Sparkler Blush’ bear bicoloured flowers in light pink and white.
The delicate, dishevelled inflorescences make very pretty cut flowers for summer bouquets.
The inflorescences give way, one after another, to equally original fruits. Long, hairy green pods, measuring 6 to 12 cm in length, hang from the petioles, developing beneath the flowers from the base of the spike. By autumn’s approach, flowers and fruits often coexist. Some hybrids are sterile and produce neither siliques nor seeds!
These pods contain numerous seeds, turning dark brown to black when dry; elongated and slender, resembling spider legs, they’ve earned cleome the nickname “spider plant” or “spider flower”.
Cleome thrives in sunny positions sheltered from strong winds that might bend its stems. It prefers rich, light, consistently moist and well-drained soils.
With its graceful tall stems and airy blooms, cleome brings breath, movement and height to the garden. Versatile, it’s ideal for creating romantic container displays, adding a touch of lightness and texture to flower beds and mixed borders.
Main species and varieties
The type species Cleome pungens or Spiny Cleome, has several synonyms (syn. C. spinosa, C. hassleriana), although it is in fact the same species, it comes in interesting hybrids and cultivars such as ‘Colour Fountain’ and those from the ‘Queen’ group, sold by us in seed packets or mini-plugs. While most have spiny stems, ‘Senorita Rosalita’ is a thornless cultivar.
Cleome Señorita Rosalita
- Flowering time August to October
- Height at maturity 70 cm
Cleome spinosa Violet Queen Seeds - Spider Plant
- Flowering time July to November
- Height at maturity 1 m
Cleome spinosa Rose Beauty Seeds - Spider plant
- Flowering time July to November
- Height at maturity 1 m
Cleome spinosa White Queen Seeds - Spider plant
- Flowering time July to November
- Height at maturity 1 m
Cleome Señorita Blanca
- Flowering time August to November
- Height at maturity 80 cm
Thorny seeds of Helen Campbell Spiky - Cleome spinosa
- Flowering time July to November
- Height at maturity 1,20 m
Cleome spinosa Colour Fountain Mix Seeds - Spider plant
- Flowering time July to November
- Height at maturity 1 m
Cleome Señorita Carolina
- Flowering time June to November
- Height at maturity 60 cm
Collection of 3 Senorita Cleomes
- Flowering time July to November
Discover other Cleome
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 2 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Planting Spider Flowers
Where to plant cleome?
While this annual prefers sun and warmth, it also adapts well to less favourable regions, as it thrives in soil that remains cool during summer months. Frost-tender, it quickly dies when temperatures drop below 2°C, which is why in our gardens it’s grown as an annual.
Cleome grows best in sunny, sheltered spots: if you want to avoid unsightly staking, it’s better to give it a position protected from strong winds that might cause the stems to bend.
It requires rich, light, sandy and well-drained soil.
Cleome forms a lush, flowering bush throughout summer. It’s the perfect annual for creating volume in borders or as a centrepiece in flower beds within a single season.
To prevent its flower spikes from collapsing in the middle of borders, it’s best to plant taller varieties alongside other plants and shrubs which will provide natural support.
Planted in groups, it also makes a beautiful sunny pathway border or can define a vegetable garden or fruit plot. It can also be grown in abundant rows as cut flowers and makes lovely romantic container displays.
When to plant cleome?
Potted Cleome should be planted in spring during April or May, as soon as the first sun rays begin to warm the soil.
Upon arrival, transplant and store our young plug plants in a sheltered spot (conservatory, greenhouse, cold frame…) at temperatures above 14°C for a few weeks before planting them out in the garden once all risk of frost has passed.
Sow cleome seeds from mid-January to mid-March, keep warm and wait until after the last frosts in May to transplant young plants directly into the ground.
How to plant cleome?
- In open ground
For best effect, opt for group planting alongside other tall summer flowers. Allow for 4-5 pots per m² – given this annual’s vigorous growth, this is sufficient to create a beautiful display. Space plants 40cm apart. The soil should be light, loose and humus-rich. In waterlogged areas, add compost and gravel to improve drainage. Some varieties may require staking.
- Loosen the soil thoroughly
- Enrich with well-rotted compost
- Position the pot then backfill the hole
- Firm gently without damaging the plant
- Mulch once plants reach about 30cm tall to keep soil cool in summer, ensuring prolonged flowering
- Water well and maintain watering during dry spells
- Cleome in pots
The growing medium must be very free-draining to avoid waterlogging. Position in full sun in a large pot at least 30cm in diameter. You may need to stake the stems.
- Add a thick drainage layer (gravel or clay pebbles)
- Plant in a sandy soil mix enriched with compost
- Mulch around the base
- Water regularly, never allowing the compost to dry out between waterings
How to Sow Cleome?
In Seed Trays
Cleome seeds should be sown early under frost-free cover, from February to mid-March.
- Sow Cleome seeds in trays using a light potting compost
- Barely cover the seeds
- Place the seedlings in a warm spot (minimum 20°C) with plenty of light
- Keep moist until the seedlings emerge
- Prick out into individual pots when seedlings reach around 3 cm in height
- Transplant outdoors during May once all risk of frost has passed
Direct Sowing in Open Ground
In well-prepared soil (add a mix of 80% compost and 20% sand) enriched with organic matter, sow directly in place in May, once frosts have finished. Bury the seeds 1 cm deep, then cover with compost. Lightly firm and water to keep the soil moist until germination, which takes between 12 days and 1 month if temperatures don’t warm up quickly enough. Thin out seedlings to give young Cleomes enough space to develop properly.
→ Learn more about sowing Cleomes in our tutorial!
Care and Maintenance
The Cleome requires virtually no maintenance: just ensure the growing medium never dries out completely.
Water very regularly, twice weekly during heatwaves, at the base of the plant rather than on the foliage. Mulch with a 2cm layer of dry straw or peat to retain moisture throughout summer. Optionally apply liquid fertiliser once a month.
Stake taller cleome stems if needed as the plant develops. Remove spent flowers to encourage new blooms and prolong the flowering period. Uproot the plant when it begins declining with the first autumn frosts. Remember to wear gloves when handling as its spines are as inconspicuous as they are sharp!
Diseases and potential pests
The spider flower is neither prone to diseases nor pest attacks. It may occasionally be susceptible to powdery mildew: apply nettle manure sprays.
(Note: “cléome” has been translated as “spider flower” which is the common English name for Cleome. “Purin d’ortie” is rendered as “nettle manure” which is the standard British English term for this organic treatment.)
Propagation
Spider Flower can be propagated by cuttings, but sowing remains the simplest method, and it tends to self-seed! Sow in late winter in trays under a heated frame or in a greenhouse as early as possible in spring, using well-ripened seeds collected between mid-August and late September once they turn dark brown, before they fall, or with packet-purchased seeds.
Spider flower pods contain numerous seeds.
Pairing
Versatile, the Spider Flower blooms throughout summer in naturalistic flower beds, pathway borders, and English-style mixed borders. With its long, slender stems, it is a must-have for romantic or wild-inspired garden displays.
A naturalistic planting idea: flowers of Cleome spinosa ‘Cherry Queen’ paired with upright-flowering Amaranth like Amaranthus ‘Fat Spike’.
Planted in groups rather than singly, it adds height, volume, and an airy lightness to flower beds, whether in bold contrasts or soft pastel harmonies.
Spider Flowers pair beautifully in height with Verbena bonariensis, Cosmos, Oriental Poppies, and other tall summer-flowering perennials, creating striking contrasts in floral forms.
In a lush summer border, position them towards the back alongside a mix of perennials and annuals such as Freesias, Dahlias, or Gauras.
The tallest varieties may require staking, though planting them in a sheltered spot in front of branching shrubs can eliminate the need—they make perfect companions for late-flowering roses like China Roses and Hybrid Musks, where they create exquisite late-summer scenes with their refined foreground presence.
The delicate blooms of Spider Flowers pair beautifully with ornamental grasses like Pennisetums or tall Miscanthus cultivars.
A light and airy planting idea: Cleome hassleriana (also stunning with the delicate white blooms of Cleome hassleriana ‘Helen Campbell’) and Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Herbstzauber’.
For exotic or romantic container displays, pair them with Tibouchinas or Clarkias.
→ Discover more Spider Flower pairing ideas in our expert guide!
Useful resources
- The world of annuals is endless, discover which ones you can pair with cleome!
- Sowing cleomes has never been easier with our cleome seeds
- Our expert advice: 5 Pink-Flowered Cleomes You Must Have in Your Garden
- Subscribe!
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