Cleome - Gorgeous Cleome!
Since we are really in the dog days of August, I thought it might be a good idea to spend a moment on one of the mainstays of the August garden, the Cleome, a native of South America.
I’ve always been wondering if I was pronouncing them correctly - what a surprise - I actually wasn’t! You know - you say “Pow Tay Toe” and I say “Pow Tah Toe”. Well, Cleome is pronounced “Klee-oh-mee”, not “klee-ohm”, as I so often called them. Goll-ee!
Looking for a great backdrop to your garden? Try these easy to grow wonders. They prefer full sun and will grow in any type of soil. They’re heat and drought resistant too.
They’re also known as the Spider Flower because of their long seed pods that develop below the flower, looking spidery - hence the name Spider Flower - DA! When they bloom, which they do all summer until frost - they bloom from the lower end of the stem to the top and are followed on the stem by the long spidery seed pods.
Some say they have a nicely fragrant odor, I say they stink when jostled. A rose by any other name…. They come in white, rose and purple. I’ve seen them planted en masse in a flower bed in all the same color and it was quite a stunning display. I’ve used them this year in a few planters as the center plant and they’ve really held their own, even in the terrible unrelenting heat we’ve had.
These plants grow anywhere from 3’-6’ tall by 1.5’ to 3’ wide with palmate leaves. They have strong taproots and so need no staking since the taproots seem to anchor the plants nicely into the ground. They’re also fairly trouble-free, but can be affected by fungal spots and mildew.
To deadhead or not to deadhead? That is the question. Well, it’s up to you. If you do so, you’ll lose the spidery effect. If you don’t,they won’t branch out as much. I’d suggest deadheading a few stalks at a time, so you always have new blooms. If the plant gets too tall for you, then by all means, cut the tallest stems back.
