A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Plant Propagation Cleome Spinosa

I have quite a few spider flowers in my garden. I'd really like to have them again this summer. Should I cut them down and start from seeds or will they self sow?

Mine reseed here in Pa.. But your variety may be different..

Collect seeds in case..

they self seed ok up here (5b) I know a lot of people choose to winter sow cleomes

Oh my goodness - if I don't deadhead my cleome before the seed pods pop, I have billions of babies the next year. Talk about invasive!!!

I am not that far from you, dredhaus - I would be surprised if you didn't get lots of volunteers next year - the secret is learning how to identify the seedlings!

I have some seed that someone here sent me--I need to plant it this spring--but while I love them, I do not know if I really want to do that. perhaps I need to find another place--or perrhaps a big pot--yea that is what i will do!!!

I guess I will have to keep an eye on them. there is a whole section of them along my garage and then random ones here and there.. looks very pretty!

What about Black eyed susans? I believe they are perennial and will jsut come back next year. They are dried out but still standing . I left them for the birdies. Can I cut these down?

They can be as invasive as the cleome. I have found baby plants of BES several feet from the mother plant the next year as well. What started out as one plant a few years ago is not a whole patch of them.

I try to cut them down before winter - sometimes I don't manage that, and that is when the seeds have already dispersed into the garden.

black eyed susans (AKA rudbeckia) like Joclyn mentioned are numerous in variety and can be annuals, biennials, or perennials. i have the perennials types up here growing in about 6 inches of soil, with concrete underneath and they thrive, and they never fail to bloom. With most perennials that tend to get weedy (like BES, sashta daisies, yarrow, etc.) they spread by roots and seeds. They will come back year after year getting bigger and bigger from their roots, but will also self seed abundantly, so that even if your mother clump dies, the seedlings will keep blooming. The seedlings will grow just leaves the first year and will bloom from year 2 or 3 onwards. You can cut the dead seedheads off your BES, but don't put them in your compost bin unless you want tons of seedlings there I just crumble the seedheads over whereever I want more plants. annual forms usually are a bit fancier with brown/orange petals, green centers, etc.

I collect some seeds each year in case mine don't come back and then throw them out in the spring. They are invasive but so pretty.

I'd like to say they are perennials based on the amount of planning that went into this garden. I'd imagine that they wanted them to come back year after year! I can't wait to find out for sure :)

Things are starting to pop up. So far I have only positively identified 2 flowers- daffodils and crocus. There are a LOT of unidentified little guys popping up all over. I suppose these are most likely all bulbs but I am not sure. Does anyone have a link or a picture of what black eyed susans look like when they first emerge? I imagine that mine are perennials and will reseed themselves. There is some activity going on where they used to be but I'm thinking its too early for BES.

thanks Sheri- definitely not what I have seen so far! Does anyone recognize this? I thought maybe glory of the snow?

Common thistle.

I hate that stuff. It comes back each year no matter what I do.

Our cowpasture is full of them.. Hubby uses the shovel method.

Daaaaaaaa

oh so its not something I want then. hmm I have a bunch of it. Also I think I spotted what looks like a whole bunch of BES.

I never worry about 'invasive' . . . it's so hard to get things growing on our lot, that I'm pleased as punch when something 'takes over'. If it looks good, and does well, I let it have the spot for its own.

I do realize, of course, that I cannot put something fussy in beside wild strawberry. If I have a patch of WS going, then it's the wild strawberry patch and nothing else.

If my neighbours object to my 'wild things' passion, because of it blowing into their yard, well they might think - most of my wild things came in from their yard in the first place - ha ha!

If it feels good, do it!

(I stand by that philosophy!)

so they are back and very pretty! yay!