Cleome Plant: Easy to care beautiful flowers and attract pollinators
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The unique flower pattern and the soothing colors of Cleome Plants add beauty and charm to the garden. The plants have very little care and are easy to maintain. Their ability to attract pollinators and beneficial insects make them a good choice to grow in gardens and between crops.
Quick Details of Cleome
| Other Common Names | Stinking Clover, Cleomes, Rocky Mountain Bee Plant |
| Type | Outdoor flowering plant |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Flowering | Summer |
| Light | Bright direct sunlight |
| Water | Deep water ones a week or when the soil is dry |
| Temperature | Warm humid conditions |
| Soil | Well draining rich soil |
| Fertilizer | Not required |
| Habitat | South America |
| Toxicity | Nil |
| Common Diseases | Not prone to pests or pathogens |
| Scientific name | Cleome spp. |
Cleome Buying Instructions
- Buy a bushy plant.
- Buy a healthy plant that should not have any kind of fungal infection or yellow leaves.
Overview of Cleome Plant
Cleome Plants are herbaceous perennial or annual flowering shrubs belonging to the family Cleomaceae. They are native to South America. There are almost 150 species belonging to this genera. The plants grow up to 6 feet tall and can spread up to 3-4 feet wide. The leaves are small arranged in leaflets, dark in color and looks like a fern.
The flowers bloom at the tips and mostly in purple, pink or white color. The seeds pods formed looks like that of mustard and are pointed downwards. These plants bloom from summer till winter. The flowers sometimes produces an odd smell, mostly after rains. The stems bear large thorns.
Usage and Advantage of Cleome
- Grown as an ornamental plant.
General Care for Cleome Plants
Soil
They prefer a fertile rich, loamy garden soil.
Water
The mature plants are drought resistant and requires very little watering. Deep water them ones a week or when the soil starts to dry. Water the young plants and seedlings 2-3 times a week.
Sunlight
They prefer bright direct sunlight. The plants require direct sunlight for at least 6-8 hours to germinate. When grown in shade, the plants produce excess foliage and grow tall reducing the bloom.
Temperature
These plants thrive best in high humidity and hot weather conditions. A marked change in the temperatures of day and night can help the plant grow and bloom. They are resistant to both harsh summers and winters.
Special Care for Cleome Plants
They do not require any special care if grown in an optimum condition. However, Deadhead the flowers ones they start to die. This will encourage more flowering. Mulch the soil to prevent the loss of moisture.
Fertilization
They are low maintenance and do not require any feeding if grown in a rich fertile soil.
Pests and other problems for Cleome
These plants are not prone to many pests or diseases. They are grown mostly as a companion plant in between crop plants as they tend to attract beneficial insects and also keeps some of the pests away.
Some of the common diseases seen in cleome are:
Damping off
Mostly seen in plants that are grown from seeds. The healthy seedling wilt and die without any visible cause. Dumping off is an fungal disease and seen mostly in seeds sown in soil with high moisture or under very low sunlight and lower temperature.
Leaf spot
Leaf spot is a fungal disease mostly infecting plants when they are grown without enough aeration or when the humidity is high. Mostly caused due the fungus Alternaria. The infected leaves develop brown spots which spread throughout the leaf. The center of the spots turn white or gray. The infected seed eventually wilt and die.
Rust
Rust colored spots are seen on the surface of the leaves and stalk. These are fungal diseases caused due to excess water or moisture. Avoid overhead watering of plants.
Powdery Mildew
Usually seen in conditions were the humidity is high. A whitish or grey layer appears on the surface of the leaves which causes the laves to curl and die.
Downy mildew
This fungal disease leads to the formation of grey patches on the underside of the plants which later spreads to the upper side causing the leaves to wilt and die.
Most of the fungal diseases are caused due to excess moisture and humidity. Provide ample amount of sunlight tot he plants. Avoid overhead watering and over watering of plants. Use a mild fungicide, soap solution or spray Neem oil. In case of uncontrolled spread, cut off the infected parts.
Propagation of Cleome
The Cleome plants propagate through seeds. The seeds can be sown early spring. Collect the seeds from the plants or from a nursery. The seeds can be sown directly outdoors or in a pot. Sow the seeds 1/4 inch deep and at least 2-4 feet apart to provide enough space for the plants to grow. The seeds germinate within 2-4 weeks ones the conditions are favorable. Water the soil regularly to provide enough moisture. Place the pot or sow the seeds in spots with ample amount of sunlight.
