Grandfather’s whiskers- so cute!

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 Cleome : it seems to be a love it or hate it plant for gardeners. I just let them grow if they come up in random spots and they don’t spoil the view. They come up late and give some needed color to flowerbeds. I prefer them to come up in the front yard because they are more than deer resistant— the deer really don’t eat them.  They are smelly in an odd way and the stems have a thistle resemblance.  One plant can get very tall 5 feet or more and it branches out to produce multiple blooms. It’s quite striking and many want to know what it is called. 


One bloom




Many blooms in a group.

So why would a gardener “hate” it?

Lots and lots of seed pods containing lots and lots of seeds which spread when the pod pops!

The plant is very easy to recognize when it is small, so it’s easy to cull and you can easily leave a few strategic plants!
It’s also easy to see why its nickname is Grandfather’s Whiskers- so cute!


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