Spider flower Senorita Rosalita
* Common name: Spider flower Senorita Rosalita
* Botanical name: Cleome ‘Incleosr’
* What it is: An annual flower that’s a big improvement on older spider flowers. Senorita Rosalita blooms throughout the upright stems (not just the tip), doesn’t have thorns, and is sterile so doesn’t seed all over the place. Flowers are soft pink, and the plant habit is bushy.
* Size: 28 to 36 inches tall, 15 to 20 inches wide.
* Where to use: Any sunny garden, especially out front or for adding spots of season-long color to a border bed or island garden. Also does well in pots. Full sun is best, but it’ll do reasonably well in part shade.
Closeup of Senorita Rosalita’s flowers.
* Care: In the ground, water twice a week for the first six weeks, then weekly the rest of summer when it’s dry. Fertilize at planting with an organic, granular flower fertilizer and then again monthly for maximum bloom. No need to deadhead flowers or spray. Yank when frost kills the plants in fall.
* Great partner: Deep rose vinca or geraniums are good annual-flower partners. Blue junipers, blue hollies or Colorado blue spruce make good evergreen backdrops.