Plant record

Cleome

Cleome hassleriana

Cleome is tall, strange, and useful in the right corner. It gives height without pretending to be tidy.

Rankspeciesreviewed
GenusCleomeCleomaceae
Species anchorCleome hasslerianaThis record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.
Library score91/100deep plant record

Garden timing

Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost if you want earlier height.

Direct sow after frost once soil has warmed.

Transplant after frost where height will not crowd the grid.

Space-saving method: grow with stake support.

Plant intelligence

Use only on a north edge or corner; mature plants are too wide for the middle of a tight grid.

pollinatorverticalbeneficial insect

Lifecycle: annual

Habit: tall branching summer annual

Height: 36-60 inches

Spread: 18-30 inches

Germination: 7-14 days

Sow depth: 0.125 inches

Bloom: summer, fall

Attracts: bees, butterflies, hummingbirds

Record score

91/100deep plant record
Taxonomy confidence94Cleome hassleriana in Cleomaceae; 2 cached source references.
Square-foot usefulness86multi-square crop with stake support.
Timing and care depth1003 planting windows, 60F minimum soil, 2 cautions.
Species and variety drill-down882 variety or cultivar options attached.
Annual flower intelligence90high pollinator value.
Source readiness82Ready for 4 external lookup paths.

Species identity

This record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.

ScientificCleome hasslerianaFamilyCleomaceaeLookup namesCleome, Cleome hassleriana, spider flower

Garden decision matrix

Square-foot fit2 squares per plant
86Use only on a north edge or corner; mature plants are too wide for the middle of a tight grid. Support: stake.
Season behaviortender
100Indoor start. Direct sow. Transplant. One main planting.
Care loadmoderate water
74Large plants need edge space. Can self-sow where seed pods mature. Soil minimum 60F.
Bed ecosystem rolepollinator, vertical
90high pollinator value; pink, white, rose, purple.
Variety depth2 options
88Compact thornless series are easier near paths and beds than older tall strains.

Species and variety notes

Compact thornless series are easier near paths and beds than older tall strains.

Senorita Rosalitacultivar
80small-bed fit

A more controlled cleome where self-sowing would be a problem.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: needs edge placement or support so it does not shade smaller crops.

thornless, sterile, compact80-100 days36-48 inches tall
Queen Mixmix
46small-bed fit

Beautiful, but give it deliberate room and expect seedlings later.

Best use: cut and garden display. Tradeoff: needs edge placement or support so it does not shade smaller crops.

classic, tall, self-sows80-105 days42-60 inches tall

Companions

tomato, zinnia, basil, sunflower

Cautions

Large plants need edge space.

Can self-sow where seed pods mature.

External enrichment

Cached name: Cleome hassleriana. Optional lookups can compare GBIF, iNaturalist, Perenual, and Trefle without changing the reviewed garden record.

Open enrichment JSON

Data layers

FVF reviewed cachecachedSpacing, timing, variety, companion, and FVF notes used by the planner.
GBIF and iNaturalistlive no-keyNo-key taxonomy, common-name, and community context checks through the enrichment route.
USDA PLANTS downloadsreferencePeriodic identity, distribution, native status, and conservation reference layer.
Perenual or Trefleoptional keyOptional species images, care data, cultivar/synonym cleanup, then cache only reviewed fields.

API source score

Perenual API88/100optional key: Flower and ornamental drill-down, plant photos, care flags, toxicity, bloom data. Limit: Requires an API key and plan-aware caching, so it should enrich records without blocking the app.
Trefle API84/100optional key: Scientific names, subspecies, varieties, hybrids, synonyms, and broader botanical cleanup. Limit: Requires a token and should be treated as a reviewed import layer, not a live page dependency.
USDA PLANTS downloads82/100download cache: Standard names, plant symbols, distribution, native status, and conservation flags. Limit: Best consumed as periodic downloaded data instead of one-off runtime requests.
GBIF Species API78/100live public: Accepted scientific names, synonyms, family/genus cleanup, and occurrence context. Limit: Not a gardening advice source; pair it with local square-foot growing data.
iNaturalist taxa API72/100live public: Common-name discovery, taxon IDs, and regional biodiversity context. Limit: Observation data is not the same thing as garden suitability or crop timing.

USDA PLANTS Database

Plant identity, taxonomy, nativity, and conservation flags.

Source reference

GBIF Species API

Accepted scientific names, taxonomy matching, and occurrence context.

Source reference

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