Hello dear readers, it is always a pleasure to be here with you to show you another of my finds, this time a plant with a very particular appearance. In fact, its appearance is so peculiar that people commonly call it Spider Plant, Spider Flower, Cat's Whiskers, Gentleman's Spurs, among others. I imagine that seeing the images I share with you today it is obvious that the reason for these names, its exotic flower, with those particularly long and thin stamens that protrude in all directions resembling the legs of spiders.

Cleome spinosa is the name by which this plant belonging to the Cleomaceae family was baptized in the scientific field, which is also one of the 150 species that make up the Cleome genus. It is native to the central and southern regions of the American continent, characterized by being perennial in its natural environment. Normally, it can be found in the wild, in sunny areas near water sources such as rivers or streams, since it needs moisture to develop properly.

Cleome spinosa or Spider plant is a branched herbaceous plant with erect stems rather thin and thorny that reach about one meter in height. Its leafy and attractive foliage is of a striking deep green color and is made up of leaves composed of between 3 and 5 follicles, located alternately around the stem.

The most striking part of this herbaceous plant, of course, are its beautiful flower spikes that reach 80 to 100 cm in height and are crowned by its exotic inflorescence. As you have already seen in the pictures, from each of the flower stalks emerge clusters of delicate but very peculiar flowers that, depending on the species, can be white, pink or pale red.

As I have already mentioned, the main attraction of this plant are its flower spikes from the tip of which emerge a cluster of numerous buds that open to show us some very curious flowers. The flowers are relatively large and rounded, formed by only 4 narrow and long elliptical petals. Of course, as I already mentioned, its most outstanding and characteristic feature are those long stamens that resemble the legs of spiders, hence one of its popular names, Spider Flower.

Although the Cleome Spinosa is currently cultivated for ornamental purposes, it is usually not a very popular plant, despite being very decorative and having an abundant and extensive flowering period. This is because, in order to show the splendor of its inflorescences, it needs to be well established in the garden, and this usually takes some time. But, this waiting time is well rewarded, as its beautiful upright foliage and long spikes give the sensation that its floral bouquets float above other plants of smaller sizes, making it a very attractive spot in any garden.

Finally, I wanted to emphasize that this herb is very resistant to pests, it does not require much maintenance, it only needs to be placed in a sunny place and be aware of frequent watering. In traditional gardens it is ideal to have it as a complement to the rose plants, but it also develops wonderfully when planted in pots or balconies. In addition, they reproduce easily, through seeds, which are only enough to fall into the ground and it alone will become new seedlings.

Well, dear readers and nature lovers, it only remains for me to say goodbye, hoping that the images and information I share with you about this beautiful plant have been to your liking. Very specially, I hope @bucipuci, @adalger and all the team of @dna and @amazingnature like it, since, it is my entry for this week's contest, in which, if you want to participate, you can access by clicking on the following link Amazing Nature Contest: FREE TOPIC - #3/5/23. Best wishes for well being and health to all, God Bless. See you next time.

Content and photographs of my intellectual property

Technical information