Cleome Rose Queen

Cleome hassleriana Rose Queen Seeds

(Spider Flower — Heirloom Annual)

Cleome hassleriana Rose Queen is a beloved heirloom annual from the classic Queen series of spider flowers, one of the most enduring and recognizable tall border annuals in ornamental horticulture. Cleome hassleriana Rose Queen is a fast-growing annual plant with dramatic huge, loose balls of 12 to 15 cm across of sweetly fragrant, rose-pink flowers with fascinating long stamens that protrude out, giving them a spider-like look. Fading to pale pink as they mature, they rise above a handsome foliage of aromatic, palmate green leaves with a spine at the base of each leaf.

The attractive blooms are followed by thin seed pods that will split open before dispersing the seed within. Blooming over a reasonably long period from early summer until frost, Spider Flower remains attractive in the cold season thanks to its dried flower heads, which will be visited in fall by birds that feed on the seeds.

An old-fashioned favorite also known as Spider Flower, Cleome’s large airy flowers bloom atop sturdy 4 to 5 foot stalks — a very stately centerpiece in the garden or as a cut flower for large arrangements. If pinched when about 6 inches tall, each plant will branch out to produce a half dozen or more blooms. This plant sometimes does best when planted in the fall and self-seeds readily.

Rose Queen Cleome is an airy and dramatic-looking heirloom plant that starts blooming from mid-summer to late fall. The plant can reach 4 feet in height with 5-inch mauve flower clusters. Rose Queen’s fragrant flowers welcome a variety of pollinators to the garden, especially hummingbirds.

In the Gulf garden context, Cleome hassleriana Rose Queen delivers something that few other tall annuals can provide — vertical drama combined with genuine heat and drought tolerance. While most tall ornamental annuals struggle when Kuwait temperatures exceed 35 degrees Celsius, Cleome thrives in heat, continuing to push new buds upward along the elongating flower stalk even in the most intense summer conditions. This makes it an extraordinary performer for the difficult period from April through June when most other cool-season ornamentals have declined and summer-season plants are still establishing.

Spider Flower Rose Queen is an excellent annual flower for background plantings, borders, large containers, and general garden applications. Cleome produces dependable annual plants that are both heat and drought resistant and easy to care for. Full sun and moist but well-drained soil are preferable conditions. Spider Flower re-seeds itself freely.

Variety Details

• Cleome hassleriana Rose Queen is an annual reaching 80 days to maturity from sowing.
• It grows vigorously up to 120 cm high and 45 to 60 cm wide, making it an ideal addition to beds and borders, cottage gardens, butterfly gardens, and containers.
• Rose Queen is an heirloom open-pollinated selection producing deep pastel rose-pink flowers that fade to pale pink as they age, creating a natural gradient of tones across the flower head that adds further visual richness.

Key Features

• Dramatic 12 to 15 cm spider-like fragrant flower heads in deep rose-pink.
• Tall architectural stems reaching 90 to 120 cm.
• Continuous blooming from first warm weather to frost.
• Heirloom open-pollinated — self-seeds freely for returning displays.
• Highly heat and drought tolerant.
• Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and hawk moths.
• Deer resistant.
• Excellent cut flower for large arrangements.
• Seeds require light to germinate — surface sow only.
• Queen series seeds benefit from cold stratification before sowing.
• Suitable for back-of-border, cutting gardens, cottage gardens, and large containers.

Important Note: Stems Have Spines

• Cleome is an excellent cut flower; however, you should beware of the small thorns on the stems. Handle with care when cutting and arranging. Wearing gloves is recommended.

Plant Information

• Family: Cleomaceae.
• Botanical name: Cleome hassleriana.
• Common names: Spider Flower, Spider Plant.
• Cultivar: Rose Queen.
• Type: Heirloom annual.
• Height: 90 to 120 cm.
• Spread: 45 to 60 cm.
• Flower: Large, loose, globe-shaped heads 12 to 15 cm across, rose-pink with long protruding stamens, sweetly fragrant.
• Foliage: Aromatic, palmate, dark green, with small spines at leaf bases.
• Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
• Water: Low to moderate — drought tolerant once established.
• pH preference: 6.6 to 7.5.
• Self-seeds: Yes, freely.
• Deer resistant: Yes.

Seed Germination

• Cleome hassleriana Queen series seeds require light to germinate and must not be covered with soil.
• Sow seeds on the surface of a moist, well-drained seed-starting mix and press lightly to ensure good contact.
• Cold, moist stratification improves germination.
• Place seeds on a slightly moist paper towel, fold, seal in a plastic bag, and refrigerate at 3 to 5°C for 5 to 7 days. Alternatively, seeds can be sown directly in trays and refrigerated for up to 14 days.
• After chilling, transfer seeds to a warm, bright environment.
• Maintain a germination temperature of 21 to 24°C with consistent light exposure.
• Keep the growing medium evenly moist but not waterlogged.
• Germination typically occurs within 7 to 21 days.
• Once seedlings develop 2 to 3 true leaves, transplant into individual pots before moving to the garden.

Growing Tips

• Pinch once when 15 cm tall for bushier plants.
• It blooms for an extended period with new buds forming and opening from the center as old petals fall.
• It is not only deer-resistant but also attracts a variety of pollinators, such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and hawk moths.
• It is an excellent cut flower.
• Spider Flower is ideal for beds and borders, cottage gardens, butterfly gardens, and containers.
• The plant is fairly low maintenance — add this charming and graceful plant to the landscape and you will be rewarded with abundant butterflies, hummingbirds, and birds.
• Space plants 30 to 45 cm apart.
• Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers which promote excessive leaf growth at the expense of flowers.
• Water regularly until established, then only during dry spells — Cleome is highly drought tolerant.
• No staking is required for most conditions.
• Allow some flowers to go to seed at the end of the season for natural self-seeding and a potentially self-renewing display in subsequent seasons.
• The aromatic foliage has a slightly musky, pungent scent when brushed — this is normal and characteristic of the species.

Gulf Planting Season

• Sow indoors after cold stratification: August through September and February through March.
• Transplant to garden beds or large containers: September through October and March through April.
• Expected flowering: November through May, continuing into Kuwait’s warm spring months.
• Cleome hassleriana is one of the most heat-tolerant tall annuals available. It will continue blooming through Kuwait’s warm
• spring and into the early summer months.
• Growth slows only in the most extreme heat of July through August.
• Plants that are allowed to self-seed may produce volunteer seedlings in autumn for a self-renewing display.

Garden and Floral Uses

• Vigorously growing up to 120 cm high, Spider Flower is an ideal addition to beds and borders, cottage gardens, butterfly gardens, and containers.
• As a back-of-border annual it delivers unmatched vertical presence, with the flower stalks continuing to elongate and produce new blooms upward throughout the season.
• For cut flowers, cut stems when the lower half of the flower head is in full bloom and the upper half still carries buds — this maximizes vase life and gives the arrangement maximum visual impact. Self-sows.
• In the Gulf garden, Rose Queen is particularly effective when mass-planted in groups of 5 to 7 plants at the back of a mixed border, creating a living wall of color and fragrance that attracts extraordinary pollinator activity.
• The combination of tall vertical stems, fragrant globe flowers in soft rose-pink, and the movement of butterflies and hummingbirds makes this one of the most alive and dynamic planting combinations available for Kuwait’s warm-season garden.