# Spider flower (*Cleome houtteana*) The Spider flower is a beautiful plant with long, spiky petals that look like spider legs! It blooms in bright colors and attracts butterflies and bees, making gardens lively and fun. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Spider flower](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cleome_houtteana_at_Felda_Sungai_Sayong_in_Kota_Tinggi%252C_Johor_20250401_112459.jpg&width=800) Photo: Wiki Farazi, CC0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cleome_houtteana_at_Felda_Sungai_Sayong_in_Kota_Tinggi%252C_Johor_20250401_112459.jpg) ## Appearance The Spider flower has delicate, airy blooms with long, whisker-like stamens that give them their name. Petals are typically pink, purple, or white, creating a cloud-like display above its palm-shaped leaves. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Brassicales - **Family:** Cleomaceae - **Genus:** Tarenaya ## Interesting facts - Its long, thin stamens really do make it look like a spider! - Some Spider flower species can grow wild as weeds in warm places! - Spider flowers have a faint, skunky scent that some people don't like! - The plant's unusual seed pods resemble miniature drumsticks hanging down! ## Special abilities - **Sticky Shields:** Spider flower has sticky stems that trap tiny insects, which might protect it from some hungry pests. - **Seed Sprinters:** Spider flower can shoot its seeds far away when its pods burst open, helping new plants sprout in many places. - **Night Lights:** Spider flower opens its fragrant blossoms at dusk, attracting nighttime pollinators like moths with its sweet scent. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 90-150 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to first frost - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees visit flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Butterflies are attracted to its nectar-rich blooms. - **Pollinates:** White-lined Sphinx Moth (*Hyles lineata*) — Moths are drawn to its fragrant flowers, especially at dusk. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch flowers without permission, as some plants can be delicate. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Spider flower? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Spider flower? 90-150 cm ### How wide does Spider flower spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Spider flower? 2-3 cm ### When does Spider flower bloom? Summer to first frost ### Is Spider flower edible? No ### Is Spider flower toxic? None ### What is Spider flower's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Pleasant Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pleasant-hill-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Seiwa-en](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seiwa-en) — Missouri, US · Botanical Garden - [Breukelen Ballfields](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/breukelen-ballfields) — New York, US · Park - [Be'er Sheva Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/beer-sheva-park) — Washington, US · Park [View all places to see Spider flower](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/spider-flower) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Spider flower: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spider-flower)