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Photo credits and licenses
Real photographs from naturalists and photographers worldwide, each used under its own license. Credit: Photo by Michael J. Papay / iNaturalist (CC BY), Photo by Michael J. Papay / iNaturalist (CC BY), Photo by Michael J. Papay / iNaturalist (CC BY), Photo by Eduardo Luis Beltrocco / iNaturalist (CC BY) and Photo by Dan Vickers / iNaturalist (CC BY). How photos are sourced →
Cleome
Cleome hassleriana
Cleome blooms from June through September.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Cleome
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 10–11. Expect it to reach about 4 ft tall and 1.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Cleome
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Cleome into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from June to September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 10, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 10 in January. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Cleome get?
4 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult1.5 ftwideSee Cleome in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Cleome
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Cleome about 1.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Cleome to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Cleome's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 9 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- plants.platthillnursery.comPlatt Hill Nursery plant databaseheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societyheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterClemson Cooperative Extension, Home and Garden Information Centerheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionHort Answersheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, Wisconsin Horticultureheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- Chicago Botanic GardenCleome hassleriana 'Violet Queen'hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Swallowtail Garden Seedscleome species pageheight, sun and trait tags
- Swallowtail Garden SeedsQueen Mix product page, same publisher as aboveheight and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 4 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every color in the Cleome group
Every figure is the color's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Name | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Queen | Red | Jun–Sep | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 4 ft × 1.5 ft |
| Cleomethis page | Pink | Jun–Sep | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 4 ft × 1.5 ft |
| Rose Queen | Pink | Jun–Sep | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 4 ft × 1.5 ft |
| Violet Queen | Purple | Jun–Sep | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 4 ft × 1.5 ft |
| White Queen | White | Jun–Sep | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 4 ft × 1.5 ft |
Good to know about Cleome
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
The spines and pungent scent gardeners dislike are exactly what make cleome deer- and rabbit-resistant and largely pest-free. Its defenses and its low-fuss reputation are the same thing. per NC State and Clemson
Traits vary by cultivar
The classic seed-grown types have sharp spines, a skunky smell, and self-sow freely. Modern series (Senorita, 'Linde Armstrong', Sparkler) are thornless, scentless, and sterile. Pick by preference. per Wisconsin and Clemson
Feeds day and night pollinators
Nectar-rich flowers draw bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds by day, and hummingbird moths and other night-flying moths at dusk. Its long stamens suit large, long-tongued visitors. per NC State and Illinois
Safe around pets
The ASPCA lists spider flower as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, with no records of toxic ingestion. A large nibble might still cause mild stomach upset. per ASPCA and NC State
Thrives in hot, dry summers
Heat, humidity, and drought tolerant once established, it holds up as a back-of-border annual all season when many other flowers fade in the heat. per NC State and UGA
Why it's called spider flower
Each bloom has four clawed petals and six long stamens that shoot out about 7.5 cm (3 in), giving the airy, spider-leg look in pink, rose, purple, or white. per NC State and Clemson
What pairs well with Cleome
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; low at 4 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Creeping Phlox
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Flowering Crabapple
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; taller at 20 ft, for the layer behind it.
Freesia
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 1.5 ft, for the front of the border.
Wisteria
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; climbs to 26 ft behind it, height without the footprint.
Hyacinth
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Windflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.