Native Redwhisker Clammyweed (Polanisia dodecandra)
Red Whisker Clammyweed (Polanisia dodecandra): not *exactly* a name you'd think of for a fascinatingly beautiful native desert flower. The US Forest Service explains a bit more about its name saying it "The name clammyweed comes from the sticky or clammy residue left on the hands after handling the plant. Redwhisker refers to the clusters of long red stamens."
You may be thinking how similar it looks to our Rocky Mountain Bee Plant native and you'd be right--they're both in the Caper family (Capparaceae). The main difference is the spiderplants like the Rocky Mtn Bee Plant have seed pods that dangle and point down, while the clammyweeds have seed pods that point straight up. Both have beautifully ornate flowers and both are absolute magnets for pollinators. It's an easy annual that grows from seed with low fuss since it prefers poor soil and is drought tolerant. Minimum 1/8 tsp of seeds included.
Red Whisker Clammyweed (Polanisia dodecandra): not *exactly* a name you'd think of for a fascinatingly beautiful native desert flower. The US Forest Service explains a bit more about its name saying it "The name clammyweed comes from the sticky or clammy residue left on the hands after handling the plant. Redwhisker refers to the clusters of long red stamens."
You may be thinking how similar it looks to our Rocky Mountain Bee Plant native and you'd be right--they're both in the Caper family (Capparaceae). The main difference is the spiderplants like the Rocky Mtn Bee Plant have seed pods that dangle and point down, while the clammyweeds have seed pods that point straight up. Both have beautifully ornate flowers and both are absolute magnets for pollinators. It's an easy annual that grows from seed with low fuss since it prefers poor soil and is drought tolerant. Minimum 1/8 tsp of seeds included.
Red Whisker Clammyweed (Polanisia dodecandra): not *exactly* a name you'd think of for a fascinatingly beautiful native desert flower. The US Forest Service explains a bit more about its name saying it "The name clammyweed comes from the sticky or clammy residue left on the hands after handling the plant. Redwhisker refers to the clusters of long red stamens."
You may be thinking how similar it looks to our Rocky Mountain Bee Plant native and you'd be right--they're both in the Caper family (Capparaceae). The main difference is the spiderplants like the Rocky Mtn Bee Plant have seed pods that dangle and point down, while the clammyweeds have seed pods that point straight up. Both have beautifully ornate flowers and both are absolute magnets for pollinators. It's an easy annual that grows from seed with low fuss since it prefers poor soil and is drought tolerant. Minimum 1/8 tsp of seeds included.