Plant Type

Annual

 

Height Range

3-6'

 

Flower Color

Pink, Purple, White

 

Flower Season

Summer, Fall

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Very Low, Low

 

Growth Rate

Fast

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

Attracts Bees

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow, Seascape, Tropical

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers, Silhouette

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Perennial Border, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Cut Flowers, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies

Spider flower is a fast-growing annual that typically rises 3 to 6 feet tall on rigid stems. Blooms appear at the ends of the stems and are clusters of pink, purple or white spider-like flowers with protruding stamens, and it blooms from summer to frost. Flowers are sweetly fragrant. Flowers are followed by thin seed pods that ripen to brown before splitting open and dispersing the seed. Aromatic, sticky, palmate green leaves with lance-shaped leaflets have sharp spines at the base of each leaf stalk. Attractive to hummingbirds (nectar), birds (seed), and butterflies.

Grow in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates light shade. Best with consistent watering during the growing season, but once established, plants will tolerate some drought. If seed pods are not promptly removed, plants will self-seed, often aggressively. Hybrids may not come true from seed. Synonymous with C. spinosa.