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Plant care

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Stinking Clover) care

Cleome serrulata

Also called Stinking Clover, Bee Spiderflower, Rocky Mountain Cleome.

RHS H2USDA 3-10Mildly toxic to petsIndoor 60-120 cm tall

Watering rhythm

7-10days

When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days

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Light

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

Soil

Well-drained sandy or loamy soil

Humidity

30-60%

Temp

15-35°C

Pet safety

Mildly toxic to pets

Mature size

60-120 cm tall

Care at a glance

Light

Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sun on the leaves. Requires full sun — at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day for best flowering. Plants grown in partial shade become leggy and produce fewer blooms. If your only bright window faces south, that's perfect for rocky mountain bee plant — same window any aroid would fry on.

Watering

Watering rocky mountain bee plant: when the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Water deeply but infrequently once established; this native prairie species is drought-tolerant. Overwatering or poorly drained soil can cause root rot. Container plants may need more frequent watering.

Soil and pot

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant grows best in well-drained sandy or loamy soil. Thrives in average to poor, lean soils — rich compost-heavy mixes encourage foliage at the expense of flowers. Neutral to slightly alkaline pH (6.8–7.5) is ideal. Avoid heavy clay. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant sits happiest at around 30-60% humidity and 15-35°C (60-95°F). Tolerates a wide range of humidity levels typical of open gardens and prairies. Good air circulation helps prevent fungal issues; no special humidity management needed. If you keep the room above 15 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed rocky mountain bee plant sparingly. Fertilise sparingly — a single application of a balanced slow-release granule (10-10-10) at planting is usually sufficient. Overfertilising, especially with high nitrogen, promotes leafy growth and reduces bloom count. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on rocky mountain bee plant in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Aphids — Clusters of aphids can form on tender new growth; knock off with a strong water spray or apply insecticidal soap.
  • Spider mites — Can appear in hot, dry spells — increase air circulation and mist foliage in severe cases.
  • Powdery mildew — Occasional in humid, poorly ventilated spots; improve spacing and avoid overhead watering.
  • Legginess — Caused by insufficient sunlight; relocate to a full-sun position.
  • Self-seeding invasively — Plants set copious seed and can naturalise aggressively; deadhead spent flowers to manage spread in garden beds.

Companion plants

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant pairs well with Rudbeckia hirta, Echinacea purpurea, and Cosmos sulphureus. These are species with similar light and water needs, so you can group them in the same room or on the same shelf and water as a batch.

Propagation

Direct-sow seed outdoors after the last frost, or start indoors 4-6 weeks earlier and transplant with care as roots dislike disturbance. Cold-stratify seed for 2-4 weeks in the refrigerator to improve germination rates. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant is mildly toxic to pets. Cleome serrulata is not individually listed by the ASPCA. The foliage has a strong, musky odour and contains glucosinolates that may cause mild gastrointestinal upset if ingested in quantity by pets or livestock; keep curious animals away as a precaution. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Cleome serrulata?

Cleome serrulata is most commonly called Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, but it is also known as Stinking Clover, Bee Spiderflower, Rocky Mountain Cleome. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Rocky Mountain Bee Plant apply identically to anything sold as Stinking Clover.

How much light does rocky mountain bee plant need?

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant grows best in direct sun (at least 4-6 hours). Requires full sun — at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day for best flowering. Plants grown in partial shade become leggy and produce fewer blooms.

How often should I water rocky mountain bee plant?

Water rocky mountain bee plant when the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days. Water deeply but infrequently once established; this native prairie species is drought-tolerant. Overwatering or poorly drained soil can cause root rot. Container plants may need more frequent watering. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is rocky mountain bee plant toxic to cats and dogs?

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant is mildly toxic to pets. Cleome serrulata is not individually listed by the ASPCA. The foliage has a strong, musky odour and contains glucosinolates that may cause mild gastrointestinal upset if ingested in quantity by pets or livestock; keep curious animals away as a precaution.

What USDA hardiness zone does rocky mountain bee plant grow in?

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant is rated for USDA zone 3-10 (grown as a warm-season annual) and RHS hardiness H2. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant deep-dive guides

Every aspect of rocky mountain bee plant care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant qualifies for 3 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

Related guides

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant is also known as Stinking Clover, Bee Spiderflower, and Rocky Mountain Cleome.