Cleome Señorita Rosalita

Cleome Señorita Rosalita, often nicknamed spider flower, is a beautiful annual with an upright and bushy habit that brings rapid volume to summer flower beds and container compositions. Its stems, covered with finely cut leaves, are topped with clusters of pink flowers with shades of purple, lilac and violet. Abundant, light and delicate, they bloom from July to September, attracting butterflies. They enjoy the sun and heat, but also having their bases kept cool.

Cleomes are among the best-performing annuals for creating a dense and airy background. They have branching stems that reach up to 60-80 cm (23.6-31.5 in) in height and spread over 40 cm (15.7 in) wide. They thus form a beautiful, relatively compact, erect clump. The deciduous foliage is abundant and composed of dark green palmate leaves, with 5 to 7 lanceolate leaflets ending in a long tapering point. At the top of the stems, the clusters of flowers crown the whole plant. They are numerous, measuring 6-7 cm (2.4 - 2.8 in) and succeed each other throughout the summer to attract pollinators with a light fragrance. Each flower consists of four petals and has very long stamens, clearly protruding from the corolla. This particularity gives them a delicate and blurry appearance, very charming in romantic or wild-inspired settings. Señorita Rosalita also comes in very seductive shades: pink with violet reflections, between purple and lilac.

Belonging to the Capparaceae family, Cleome is a plant native to South America. It therefore prefers the sun and heat. However, it also adapts to less mild regions, as it also appreciates cool soils.

Cleome Señorita Rosalita is a welcome addition to small arrangements and containers, creating a verdant and flowery background. If you have large spaces, combine it with grasses, Cosmos and Dahlias; it will form beautiful, dense and colourful clumps. Thornless and not very demanding, it will appeal to busy beginners.