The spider flower is an annual summer flower and is therefore not considered hardy. However, there are occasional reports of winter-hardy varieties, which may be a related genus from the Cleomaceae family.
Do you have to bring spider flowers indoors in winter?
The spider flower (Cleome spinosa) is not hardy and dies at the first frost. However, their seeds are frost hardy and self-seeding, so they can overwinter in the bed and germinate the next spring. It is not necessary to bring the plant indoors to overwinter.
The Cleome spinosa, the “real” spider flower, dies with the first frost. But since it produces plenty of seeds and scatters them generously, that's not a big deal. The seeds overwinter on the bed, are not damaged by frost and germinate without any problems the next spring. Of course, you can also collect the seeds and sow them indoors during the winter, thus bringing young plants forward in good time.
Key points about the spider flower:
- Plant not hardy
- Seeds frost hardy
- self-seeding
Tip
In contrast to the plant, the seeds are hardy, so many young plants will grow in the place of the old plant next year without your intervention - as long as you let the seeds mature on the plant.
