Cleome is one of those genera that instantly earns its “spider flower” nickname. Most species carry airy, open blooms with whiskery, extended stamens that splay out like delicate legs, giving each flower a lively, almost firework-like look. The genus sits in the family Cleomaceae (once grouped with capers but now recognised as closer to mustards) and includes roughly 170 species of herbs and shrubs spread across warm regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

In southern Africa, Cleome is a classic summer-rainfall wildflower group: many species pop up after good rains on disturbed ground, sandy flats, rocky grassland, or savanna edges. Their quick growing habit, long flowering season, and strong nectar/pollen production make them brilliant “ecosystem helpers,” pulling in bees, butterflies, and other pollinators when the veld is alive. Several species are also used traditionally as leafy vegetables or medicinal plants elsewhere in Africa, while others have become beloved ornamentals worldwide.

For gardeners, Cleome offers a mix of indigenous charm and cottage-garden drama: tall spires, palmate leaves, and flowers ranging from soft lilac and magenta to bright yellow. Whether you’re building a water-wise indigenous meadow, boosting pollinators in a food garden, or simply wanting that airy “wild elegance” in a sunny bed, spider flowers are generous, tough companions.

Cleome hassleriana (syn. Tarenaya hassleriana, Cleome spinosa, Cleome pungens)

This is the classic garden spider flower — tall, airy, and unapologetically showy. Cleome hassleriana brings instant cottage-garden drama, but still sits beautifully in South African gardens because it thrives in heat, copes with moderate drought once established, and flowers for ages in summer.

Originally from South America, it is widely cultivated and has naturalised in parts of South Africa. Botanists now often place it in the genus Tarenaya, but it remains widely sold under Cleome. Common names include spider flower and spider plant.

Plants form upright stems with palmate leaves and large heads of flowers in pink, lilac, purple or white, each bloom carrying long, elegant stamens. In South Africa it flowers from early through late summer and into autumn where frost is mild, attracting bees and butterflies continually. It’s a wonderful back-of-border annual and also a favourite for cut-flower arrangements thanks to its unusual shape and long vase life.

Cleome hassleriana (syn. Tarenaya hassleriana) — sowing notes (ornamental spider flower)

This is the garden spider flower, widely grown and easy in SA summer heat.

Sow from September to November in most of the country; in frost-free coastal areas you can extend sowing into January for later colour.

Unlike many African Cleomes, ornamental C. hassleriana often germinates well with light exposure. Surface sow or cover whisper-thin (around 1–3 mm), and keep warm.

Germination is usually 7–14 days when temps sit around 20–25°C.

Highveld tip: start under cover in early spring, then transplant after last frost. Karoo/Kalahari tip: direct sow after decent rain, but water weekly until established.