Cleome is a sprawling genus in the caper family with representatives on most continents, and the ornamental species grown in gardens carry that cosmopolitan ease into the border. The flowers are unmistakable: long, projecting stamens give each bloom a spidery quality that inspired nearly all of its common names, and the individual flowers are held in elongated racemes that keep adding new blooms at the tip while the lower ones set seed. Some species carry a mild fetid odor from glandular leaf hairs; others are pleasantly fragrant. The range runs from a compact 2 feet to a commanding 6 feet tall depending on species and conditions.

Full sun and moist, well-drained garden soil are the baseline requirements. Pinching in early summer encourages a bushier plant for those who want density over height. Use the taller forms at the back of a mixed border interspersed with perennials for season-long structure, or bring lower-growing species forward as a contrast to more formally shaped companions. Deer avoid them reliably, which in heavily browsed gardens can make them worth growing for that quality alone.