Spider Flower
White Queen Cleome is a stunning heirloom annual that transforms gardens with its electrifying white starbursts of bloom from summer through fall. Growing 48 inches tall with deep green foliage, this cleome thrives in full sun across hardiness zones 2-11 and requires minimal water once established, making it drought-tolerant and nearly carefree. From seed to first bloom takes 80-100 days, rewarding patient gardeners with explosive flowers that draw pollinators and add celebratory presence from June through November.
12-18 inches apart
Full Sun
Low
2-11
48in H x 12in W
Annual
High
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Bright white blooms cluster into dynamic starbursts that stand in bold contrast to dark green foliage, creating a visual energy that distinguishes this variety from quieter white flowers. The airy, tendrilled structure of the plant gives it a shrubby, energetic presence that celebrates rather than whispers in the garden. Unlike many white-flowered plants, White Queen reads as confident and commanding, especially when paired with tropical hues like those of cannas and dahlias.
White Queen Cleome is grown as an ornamental annual flower that shines in mixed borders, cottage gardens, and pollinator beds. Its height and airy structure make it valuable as a vertical accent, while its long bloom window extends garden interest from midsummer into late autumn. Gardeners cultivate it specifically to attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators throughout the warm season.
Sow seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Keep soil at 60-70°F and increase germination success by chilling the seed flat in the refrigerator for 2 weeks before sowing. Seeds typically sprout in 5-30 days.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors after your last spring frost date, spacing them 18 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart.
Direct sow seeds 1-2 weeks before your last spring frost date. Surface sow and press in lightly, as seeds require light to germinate.
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