Skip to Content Skip to Navigation
Menu

Señorita Blanca® Spider Flower Cleome hybrid

Exposure
  • Sun
Flower Season
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall
Mature Size
4' 2' 1.2m 61cm
Height: 2' - 4'
Spread: 18" - 2'
Height: 61cm - 1.2m
Spread: 46cm - 61cm
Award Winner
  • Details

    24 - 48 Inches
    12 - 18 Inches
    18 - 24 Inches
    61cm - 1.2m
    30cm - 46cm
    46cm - 61cm

    Features

    This heat-tolerant plant adds dramatic height to landscape beds; sterile flowers, and thornless, non-sticky, odorless foliage add to the appeal of this great garden performer

    Award Winner
    Continuous Bloom or Rebloomer
    Long Blooming
    Heat Tolerant
    Deadheading Not Necessary
    Attracts: 
    Birds
    Butterflies
    Resists: 
    Deer

    Characteristics

    Plant Type: 
    Annual
    Height Category: 
    Tall
    Garden Height: 
    24 - 48 Inches 61cm - 1.2m
    Spacing: 
    12 - 18 Inches 30cm - 46cm
    Spread: 
    18 - 24 Inches 46cm - 61cm
    Flower Colors: 
    White
    Flower Shade: 
    clean white
    Foliage Colors: 
    Green
    Foliage Shade: 
    Dark Green
    Habit: 
    Upright
    Container Role: 
    Thriller

    Plant Needs

    Light Requirement: 
    Sun

    The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).

    Maintenance Category: 
    Easy
    Bloom Time: 
    Planting To Hard Frost
    Hardiness Zones: 
    10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
    Water Category: 
    Average
    Soil Fertility Requirement: 
    Average Soil
    Uses: 
    Container
    Uses: 
    Landscape
    Uses: 
    Mass Planting
    Uses Notes: 

    Use in landscape beds or large containers.

    Maintenance Notes: 

    Unlike other cleome, Senorita Blanca will not self-seed, doesn't get bare knees, isn't sticky, and doesn't usually have thorns. Her flowers are smaller than classic cleome, but she flowers all over the plant not just at the top. Since she doesn't self-seed you don't have to worry about cleome seedlings trying to take over your garden. She is great for adding height to garden beds and has dark green foliage. Deadheading isn't necessary.

    Occasionally, older mature Senorita plants may sometimes have a few spines, but this is uncommon.

    For gardeners in the Deep South, we have had reports of Senorita Blanca being attacked by a stem borer. We, with the help of the University of Florida and a great local nurseryman, finally got a pest ID and some information for those of you in impacted areas. The pest is Cabbage Budworm (Hellula phidilealis) and is a member of the moth family. Symptoms of infestation include wilting and death of the tip of each stem, the caterpillar greats holes in the stem as it develops and spends its like in the stem until thatching and flying off to infect other plants. You can control the problem with DiPel which is a natural bacterium that the worm ingests and then the bacterium eats the worm. Harmless to pets and humans, it can be applied to your plants on a monthly and should persist to prevent future problems. This insect also feeds on all cabbage-related crops, like Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower, Chinese broccoli, Chinese mustard, and leafy plants such as Bok Choy, mizuna, and Collard greens. To our knowledge, this pest only occurs in South Florida (Tampa and farther south), but the control of the problem is the same for all areas of the US.

    An application of fertilizer or compost on garden beds and regular fertilization of plants in pots will help ensure the best possible performance.

    Cleomes (spider flowers) have been around for a long time. But there was talk. Thorns. Sticky leaves and stems. There were even Cleomes, some whispered, that smelled like s-k-u-n-k. Unless they were deadheaded, the varieties with seed pods looked sad. For others if the temperature rose above 100 degrees there were no more flowers and the bottom leaves, they shriveled and fell off.

    Senorita Blanca has restored Cleome's reputation. The magnificent dark leaves on my 3-5 feet tall upright branches are topped by clusters of bright flowers. And they bloom with abandon from late spring through fall. I scoff at heat and renounce all thorns and sticky substances. Deadheading is no more. All I ask is that you plant me in full sun in a place where water drains freely through the soil. Grow me, and should you ever smell a certain aroma, at least you will know it is not I that am the source.

    Gardeners have grown to love the Proven Winners line of cleomes because they are thornless, seedless, odorless, and not sticky. Señorita Blanca produces showy, pure white blooms all season. She is a superb plant for the landscape where her vigorous growth, heat and humidity tolerance makes her a shining star.

    Señorita Blanca® Cleome hybrid 'Inclesbimp' USPP 27,011, Can 5,504
  • 8 Reviews

    5
    5
    4
    3
    3
    2
    1
    Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.
    • Beautiful and vigorous grower. I put 1 plant in a 16” pot in full to part sun around mid May and it has taken off! It is now mid July and it’s 36” tall and about 14” wide - it takes up the whole pot! And it’s full of blooms! Will definitely buy more!

      Silara
      , Illinois
      , United States
      , 4 years ago
    • Beautiful plant. Bloomed for 2 years straight for me in Florida. Had a nice round shape.

      Sheila
      , United States
      , 4 years ago
    • Beautiful plant. Bloomed for 2 years start for me in Florida. Had a nice round shape.

      Sheila
      , Florida
      , United States
      , 4 years ago
    • I live on 12 acres, in Kansas, with open fields for miles to the north and south of our property. This plant has survived one of the craziest springs in recent Kansas history! Several storms with hail and 60-70mph wind, a month that we had 16" of rain and now nearly a month with no rain and 100 degree days. The stems never bent over, It's one of the most beautiful flowers on my patio! It's tall, full of blooms and so pretty. They have bloomed continuously and just this week I finally decided to go find the plant ID tag because I have been so impressed that I decided I needed to write a review AND make a note on my calendar to make sure and buy it again next year. It's a winner!

      Kristine Heinz
      , Kansas
      , United States
      , 5 years ago
    • Enjoyed the compact habit and dense flowering of these cleomes. They performed fantastically in the garden. We also used them in some raised planters with mixed results as they tended to be top heavy there, with some leaning over.

      Paul Judge
      , Ontario
      , Canada
      , 6 years ago
    • Picked one of these up May 7 and left in original 5 inch pot for 10 days. Plant has already grown 2 inches in height and the white flowers are in full bloom. Definitely a vertical plant as mine is already about 12" tall. At time of purchase, the foliage (especially lower leaves) were more a yellow color but have since evened out with the remaining foliage, which is a pale green. The branches on this guy are thick and sturdy, enabling it to withstand the often higher than average winds my deck receives in spring. While the plant flowers well, the flowers are located only at the top of each branch/stem so I would recommend planting in a large pot with other mounding annuals. Very unique offering and I look forward to watching this guy reach the advertised height of 4 feet! Matthew Lamb, Frederick, MD

      Matthew Lamb
      , Maryland
      , United States
      , 7 years ago
    • Plant blooms non stop in over 100 degree weather until freeze; no need to dead head; an excellent choice.

      RITA
      , Louisiana
      , United States
      , 7 years ago
  • 1 Award

    Award Year Award Plant Trial
    2018 Top Performer Penn State University
  • 1 Recipe

Back to Top

Find plants you love and create idea boards for all your projects.

To create an idea board, sign in or create an account.