Cleome hassleriana 'Colour Fountain Mixed' (also called spider flower)
Cleome
hassleriana
'Colour Fountain Mixed'
Cleome hassleriana 'Colour Fountain Mixed' is a summer-flowering half-hardy annual with flowers in white, pale pink and dark pink. The common name comes from the long, conspicuous stamens. It is useful for the back of mixed borders where it will thrive in well-drained soil in a sunny position. The whole plant has a strong scent, said to be hemp-like.
It is attractive to beneficial insects such as bees, bumblebees and hoverflies.
Flowers in summer.
Habit - upright with branching stems. H: up to 1.5m. S: 50cm.
Stem - straight, mid-green and prickly.
Leaves - scented, green, palmate and hemp-like.
Flowers - terminal racemes white or pink flowers, with long stamens, are borne in summer.
Sunny and sheltered. The plants grow to their tallest when grown in full sun in a sheltered spot.
Sandy or well-drained.
Half hardy.
Little required - water regularly in hot, dry weather, but do not over-water. Collect seed heads in summer to save for sowing the following year.
When you come to remove old plants, wear gloves as this plant has sharp spines on the stem.
If anyone tells you Cleomes are not attractive to slugs and snail, don't believe them. All but one of my plants were razed to the ground in the summer of 2007 and I've heard similar reports from several other people. It is said that there is less of a problem if they are grown in containers.
By seed sown indoors in spring or in situ once the danger of frost has passed.
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