Spider Flower

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Closure of Floral Fantasy on 19 to 30 Nov

**Spider Flowers (Cleome houtteana)**

The 'Sparkler Blush' cultivar of Cleome houtteana features a combination of white, pale pink, and dark pink flowers within each inflorescence, held upright on sturdy stems to add interest and height in the planting bed.

The genus Cleome comprises more than 190 species of herbaceous annual or perennial plants and shrubs, distributed throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. One of the species is Cleome houtteana which originates from southern South America, specifically from Brazil to northern Argentina, and is widely cultivated in temperate zones globally. Cleome has been a garden favourite since the 1800s. Over the years, numerous cultivars had been developed from this species and introduced for their flower colour and other attributes.

One of the most distinctive features, their stamens are notably long and protrude outwards from the flower.

Spider flower derives its common name from the long, filamentous stamens of its flowers, which, along with the slender seedpods that form beneath the blossoms, contribute to its arachnid-like appearance. After the plant flowers, some growers observed that the dried flower heads and their conspicuous stamens become a point of attraction for birds and add aesthetic appeal to the garden. Spider flower is known to attract various pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbird moths as well as bat. Their unique flowers provide nectar and serves as host plants to certain butterfly species.

Spider plant is covered with hairs which are part of their natural defence mechanism that deters some pests and herbivores from feeding on it.

Their leaves are arranged alternately, and are palmately compound, typically with 5-7 leaflets. The underside of the leaf midrib may be adorned with prickles, and each leaf petiole is accompanied by a pair of small, spiny stipules. Varieties differ in their thorniness. Additionally, the leaves feature glandular pubescence, making the aromatic foliage slightly sticky to the touch and emitting a pungent odour from the glandular hairs.

Flowers of Cleome ‘Sparkler Blush’.

‘Sparkler Blush’ is an acclaimed cultivar of Cleome houtteana, a fast-growing annual plant that produces profuse clusters of sweetly fragrant pink flowers with fascinating long stamens that protrude out. Check them out while they are in bloom at the Impressions of Monet: The Garden display in Flower Dome!

Written by: Ziana Yacob, Acting Senior Manager (Research and Horticulture)

Ziana's fascination with the many wonders of plants led her to study Horticulture. She has been involved in propagating plants and nurturing our in-house orchid collections. Keeping plants alive is a challenge and she's constantly learning about what she should or shouldn't be doing!