Rocky Mountain beeplant
| Botanical Name | Cleome serrulata |
| Common Name | Rocky Mountain beeplant |
| Family | Capparaceae - Caper |
| Description | Leaves have 3 leaflets, each 1/2" - 3" long. The seeds of this native annual are borne in slender pods 1"-2" long. They are attached to the main stem by slender stalks. |
| Mature Size | 6" - 5' |
| Bloom | June-Sept. It has numerous, showy, lavender pink or white flowers, each with 4 petals and 6 stamens. |
| Interesting Facts | Flowers produce copious nectar and attract bees, hence the common name. |
| Traditional and Medicinal Uses | Native Americans boiled the leaves for food and to treat stomach aches. Early Spanish Americans made tortillas from the barely palatable but nourishing seeds. Leaves may have been crushed and put on bites of poisonous insects. Indians used the boiled plant as pottery paint. |
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Photo for SFBG by Janice Tucker
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Photo for SFBG by Janice Tucker
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