(Cleomella serrulata ‘Rocky Mountain’)
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant is a gorgeous native annual flower commonly found growing in open prairies throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 3-4' and features an erect stem, leafy branches, and beautiful clusters of large pink flowers. This plant attracts bees, birds, and butterflies to your garden, is a larval host for the checkered-white butterfly, is both edible and medicinal, is resistant to deer and rabbits, is used as a cut flower, and makes dye!
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General Information
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Starting Bee Plant Seeds
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Crop Care
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Harvesting
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Seed Saving
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Culinary
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Medicinal
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Other Uses:
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Companion Planting
Genus: Cleomella
Species: serrulata
Variety: Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
Also Known As: Beeplant, Stinking Clover, Navajo Spinach.
Native to: Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Manitoba, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Introduced into: Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario.
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Blooms): Summer
Light: Full Sun
Water: Medium.
Soil Moisture: Medium
Beneficial Insects?: Yes. It attracts bees, birds, hummingbirds, and butterflies as well as being resistant to rabbits and deer. It is also a larval host plant for the checkered white butterflies (Pontia protodice)!
Height: 36-48”
Spacing: 18-20”
Sow Depth: 1/4"
USDA Zone: 3a-9b
Produces: an erect stem, leafy branches, and beautiful clusters of large pink flowers which bare six stamens that extend far beyond the flower itself!
Starting Bee Plant Seeds Indoors for Spring
Transplanting Bee Plant Seedlings Outdoors for Spring
Starting Bee Plant Seeds Outdoors for Spring
Starting Bee Plant Seeds Outdoors in Fall
Using companion plants as a border, backdrop, or interplanting in your garden beds will allow you to harness the ecosystem to its full potential. It is best to use plants native to your area so that the insects you seek to attract will know what to look for!
Bee Plant is known as the 4th Sister to the traditional 3 Sister Planting Method. Bee Plants role in this layout is to attracts bees and other pollinators. Below is corns companions and we suggesting adding Bee Plant in with the crops listed below.
Allies: The benefits of planting corn with beans has been upheld by scientific research, which showed increased yields when corn was grown with a legume. One study points out that an interplanting of soybeans encourages parasitic Trichogramma wasps, which help control corn earworms. Soybeans or peanuts also increase populations of predatory insects, which help reduce the number of corn borers. Beans and corn are mutually beneficial: Beans help keep fall armyworms in check on corn, notes one study, while corn minimizes leafhoppers on bean plants. Alternate rows of corn and bush beans, two rows of corn to one row of beans. Or plant pole beans to climb corn rows.
Companions: Sunflower borders were a tradition in American Indian gardens. British research indicates that strips of sunflowers alternated with corn will increase yields and decrease infestations of all armyworms. Squash and pumpkins do well in the shade of the corn rows. to make nitrogen and potassium unavailable to corn, even when the area is heavily fertilized. Leached toxins from wheat straw mulch reduced corn yields in farm research by 44-94%.
Suggested Varieties
(Phaseolus vulgaris 'Kentucky Wonder')
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Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean is a heirloom, tender warm weather annual vegetable that is native to California where it was introduced in 1940 by Ferry-Morse Seed Co. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 72-96” and features long vines, green spade-shaped leaves, 7-10” green snap bean pods, and tiny flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees and butterflies, is disease resistant, creates bio mass, tolerates drought, makes dye and fabric, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Phaseolus vulgaris 'Lazy Housewife')
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(Phaseolus vulgaris 'Royalty Purple Pod')
Royalty Purple Pod Bean is a heirloom, tender warm weather annual vegetable that is native to New Hampshire where it was developed by the University of New Hampshire, and introduced by Billy Helper Seed Company in 1957. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 18-24” and features erect stems, green spade-shaped leaves, 5-6” bright-purple bean pods, and tiny flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees and butterflies, creates bio mass, tolerates drought, makes dye and fabric, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Zea mays 'Country Gentleman')
Country Gentleman Sweet Corn is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to the Connecticut River Valley area and was first offered in 1890 by S. D. Woodruff & Sons. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 6-8' and features 7-8" ears with irregular white kernels. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts earwigs, is used to make cosmetics, fuel, glue, and paper, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Zea mays 'Golden Bantam')
Golden Bantam Sweet Corn is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Massachusetts, where it was developed in Greenfield by William Chambers and first offered by Burpee Seed Company in 1902. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 60-72” and features 7-8" ears with irregular white kernels. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts earwigs, is used to make cosmetics, fuel, glue, and paper, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Zea mays 'Shaman's Blue')
Shaman's Blue Popcorn is a hybrid, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Peru, but can be commonly found growing in gardens throughout the Untied States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 96” and features 7-9" ears with unique blue/purple kernels. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts earwigs, and is edible.
(Helianthus annuus ‘Autumn Beauty’)
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Autumn Beauty Sunflower is a native annual flower that grows in dry areas of meadows, plains, and prairies throughout every region of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 5-6' and features hairy stems & heart-shaped green leaves, and 4-6” yellow, orange, red, bronze, or mahogany flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, is resistant to rabbits, is a great trap crop for aphids, is both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, makes dye, and is used as a cut flower!
(Helianthus annuus ‘Mammoth’)
Mammoth Sunflower is a native annual plant that grows in dry areas of meadows, plains, and prairies throughout every region of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 8-12' and features hairy stems, hairy heart-shaped dark green leaves, and 12-24” yellow flower heads. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, is resistant to rabbits, is a great trap crop for aphids, is both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, and makes dye!
(Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Mexican’)
Mexican Sunflower is an annual flower that is native to Mexico but can be commonly found growing throughout Louisiana and Florida. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 4-6' and features 3-12” lobed dark green leaves and 3” orange-red flowers with orange-yellow disks. This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, is resistant to deer, tolerates drought, and is used as a cut flower!
(Helianthus annuus ‘Velvet Queen’)
Velvet Queen Sunflower is a native annual plant that grows in dry areas of meadows, plains, and prairies throughout every region of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 3-4' and features hairy stems, hairy heart-shaped dark green leaves, and 4-6” flowers in shades of bronze, red, and mahogany with dark centers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, is resistant to rabbits, is a great trap crop for aphids, is both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, and makes dye!
(Cucurbita pepo 'Connecticut Field')
Connecticut Field Pumpkin is a heirloom, very tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Mexico, but has been growing in gardens throughout the United States since the 1700's. At maturity, the vines of this plant reaches the length of 8-10' and features rounded, lightly ridged orange pumpkins averaging 20-30 lbs. This plant attracts bees is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita argyrosperma 'Cushaw Green Striped')
Cushaw Green Striped Pumpkin is a heirloom, very tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Southern Mexico, but has been growing in gardens throughout the United States since the early 1800's. At maturity, the vines of this plant reaches the length of 10-25' and features cream and green striped, long necked pumpkins with pale orange flesh averaging 10-20 lbs. This plant attracts bees is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita moschata 'Fairytale')
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Fairytale Pumpkin is a heirloom, very tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Central and South America but has been growing in gardens throughout the United States since the 1899. At maturity, the vines of this plant reaches the length of 10' and features 12-18" deep orange flesh pumpkins that are deeply lobed and weight up to 15 lbs. This plant attracts bees, is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita maxima 'Jack O' Lantern')
Jack O' Lantern Pumpkin is a heirloom, very tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to South America, but has been growing in gardens throughout the United States since the 1800's. At maturity, the vines of this plant reaches the length of 8-10' and features rounded, lightly ridged orange pumpkins averaging 20-30 lbs. This plant attracts bees is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita pepo 'Dark Green')
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Dark Green Zucchini is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Mexico but can be found growing throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 12-18” and features 4-7" small, uniform, high-quality fruit that has dark green with light fleck skin. This plant attracts bees, butterflies, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita pepo 'Black Beauty ')
Black Beauty Zucchini is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Storrs, Connecticut where it was bred at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station by John Scarchuk in the 1920's. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 12-18” and features 6-8" shiny black-green zucchini with creamy, white flesh. This plant attracts bees, butterflies, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita pepo 'Early White Bush Scallop')
Early White Scallop Bush Summer Squash is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Mexico but can be found growing throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 24-48” and features creamy white, 7” across and 3” deep scalloped squashes. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita pepo 'Early Yellow Crookneck')
Early Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Mexico but can be found growing throughout in gardens throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 18-24” and features 5-6" light yellow, crookneck squashes with slightly warted skin. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita pepo 'Grey Zucchini')
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Grey Zucchini is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Mexico but can be found growing throughout in gardens throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 18-24” and features 7-9" zucchini with mottled grayish green skin. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita pepo 'Scallop Yellow Bush')
Yellow Bush Scallop Summer Squash is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Mexico but can be found growing throughout in gardens throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 18-24” and features 2-3" bright yellow, rounded patty pan squashes with scalloped edges. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita maxima 'Sweet Meat')
Sweet Meat Winter Squash is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to the United States and was first offered in Portland, Oregon by the Gill Brothers Seed company in 1947. At maturity, the vines of this plant reach the length of 6-10' and features rounded, pale bluish gray squashes that average 10-20 lbs. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita maxima 'Vegetable Spaghetti')
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Vegetable Spaghetti Winter Squash is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to China, but was introduced into the United States by Burpee Seed Company in 1936. At maturity, the vines of this plant reach the length of 8' and features 9-12” oval, cream colored squashes that average 5-7 lbs. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Cucurbita maxima 'Waltham Butternut')
Waltham Butternut Winter Squash is a heirloom, tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Massachusetts where it was bred by Bob Young in Waltham, Massachusetts. At maturity, the vines of this plant reach the length of 6-9' and features 8-12” long. pale tan squashes that have yellowish-orange flesh and average 3-6 lbs. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, is horse and rabbit safe, and is both edible and medicinal!