Our Cleome Flower seeds produce a tall, though some might call them lanky, wonderfully flirty annual flower. Sometimes called Spider Flowers, Spider Legs, Grandfather’s Whiskers or Sparkler Flowers, they come in a variety of colors, and though they are an annual, will reseed if allowed to do so. You can control this by plucking all or part of them before they go to seed, though they don’t reseed aggressively, so that may not be necessary in your particular area. Their shallow root system also makes them easy to pull, another means of controlling their tendency to reseed. First introduced in England, brought from the West Indies in 1817, these are definitely an heirloom from the original colonists.
Cleome, pronounced klee-OH-me, prefers a sunny location, but will tolerate afternoon shade just fine. Its height demands it be planted as a centerpiece for lower growing plants or along the back border. In windy areas Cleome may require staking, so along a privacy or cyclone fencing will provide easy access to support. These showy flowers are well worth the effort. One caution, Cleome, though gorgeous, has a distinctive smell, causing our ancestors to sometimes call it the “pole-cat flower”. Though absolutely stunning in the garden, you probably will not want to cut this one and bring it inside. Outside you will most likely not smell it unless you stick your nose right in it; inside, however, is a different story. As with all bloomers, they will perform their best on a regular feeding schedule. We recommend Jungle Flora or Espoma Flower-tone®, both of which are organically rich and specially formulated for blooming plants.
Each order of our fresh Cleome seeds is filled by hand, put into a resealable plastic bag and then placed into a labeled seed packet. It is our goal to provide our customers the best in freshness and quality.
