Growing Cleome (Spider Flower): Self-Seeding Beauty with Management Tips

Cleome self-seeds prolifically—one plant can yield hundreds. Sow seeds in April in the back of a sunny bed; they sprout in three weeks. Pink-lavender flowers bloom mid-summer, but plants become leggy by August. Prevent this by pinching flower stems when they reach 12 inches. Remove faded plants in fall, but note seed pods will have already scattered. 'Linde Armstrong' is a compact (12-16 inch) variety that self-seeds less aggressively.

Cleome