Rocky Mountain Beeplant

Cleome serrulata

Physical Characteristics

Cleome serrulata is a ANNUAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Distribution

Western N. America - Washington to Saskatchewan and south to California..

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers Leaves Seed Seedpod Shoots Edible Uses: Edible leaves, flowers, very young pods, and seeds [2-3]. Flavor is often unpleasant, so boiling and water changes are strongly recommended. Best used as a processed and preserved green rather than a fresh vegetable. Edible Uses & Rating: Leaves, flowers, seedpods (very young), and seeds are considered edible, but palatability is consistently the limiting factor. In practical terms, the leaves are the most useful part because they can be harvested in bulk and processed into dried cakes for storage. Seeds are naturally storable and relatively easy to gather and process, but their flavor is often bitter and unpleasant. Overall, purple beeplant rates as an important “reliable processing plant” rather than a pleasant fresh vegetable [2-3]. Taste, Processing & Kitchen Notes: Fresh leaves are strongly malodorous and the flavor often mirrors the smell, making raw use difficult for most people. Boiling the leaves, ideally with a change of water, reduces intensity and makes them more manageable. The traditional-style preservation approach—boil, then sun-dry, then form into hard cakes—produces a durable food that can be eaten later without further cooking. These cakes tend to become dark greenish-black and can smell seaweed-like, with a texture reminiscent of dry rice cakes. Seasonings and mixed dishes help. Drying should be done outdoors or in very well-ventilated spaces due to lingering odor. Seedpods can look temptingly like green beans but behave very differently. Only the youngest pods are worth considering, and even then they can be fibrous, gum-like, and unpleasant. Cooking does little to fix texture, so pods can ruin a dish if added indiscriminately. Seeds are rich in oil and store well, but their coats can be bitter and awkward. Toasting can blunt some harshness, yet many people still find the flavor objectionable. If coarsely ground and mixed with water, some separation of seed parts may be possible because hull fragments tend to behave differently than the oily seed interior, but it is not a clean or easy refinement [2-3]. Seasonality (Phenology): Purple beeplant can bloom from spring through autumn, often responding to rainfall patterns. Leaf harvest is best earlier, while plants are lush and before leaves wither during pod development. Seeds develop over the long flowering season and may be available across warm months depending on local moisture timing. Safety & Cautions (Food Use): Because purple beeplant commonly grows along roadsides and in disturbed soils, harvest location matters. Avoid sprayed verges, contaminated washes, and areas with heavy livestock or pet impacts. Strong flavors and odors can also signal high levels of plant compounds that some people may not tolerate well in large servings, so moderation and thorough cooking are prudent. Harvest & Processing Workflow: For greens, harvest whole young plants or leafy tops before pods dominate and leaves wither. Boil thoroughly, ideally changing water once, then drain well. Dry the cooked greens in sun or airflow and press into cakes or store as dried leaf material. For seeds, allow pods to mature and dry, then gather and thresh; toast lightly if you want a more stable stored product, but expect flavor to remain challenging. Cultivar/Selection Notes: This species is sometimes treated within Cleome or Peritoma depending on taxonomy; for practical use the plant’s growth stage and habitat matter more than naming. Related regional spiderflowers exist, including slender spiderflower in some areas, distinguishable by leaf and pod traits. Look-Alikes & Confusion Risks: Beeplants are distinctive, and confusion is usually within the same general group of spiderflowers. The bigger practical risk is culinary, not botanical: mistaking mature pods for edible “green bean” equivalents. Only very young pods are even marginally chewable, and even then they can be unpleasant. Traditional / Indigenous Use Summary: Purple beeplant has strong documentation of Indigenous use in the Southwest, including cultivation by Pueblo peoples and archaeological evidence of common consumption. Preservation into dried forms, including cakes, aligns with practical needs in arid regions and helps explain how such a strongly flavored plant could still be an important food. Young shoots, leaves and flowers are cooked and used as potherbs[46, 105, 161, 183]. The plants were gathered and, after removing an alkaline taste[46], were eaten with cornmeal porridge[61, 183]. The plant smells like a skunk, but it was an important potherb for the native North American Indians and the early European settlers in America[207]. Seed - raw or cooked[257]. It can be dried and ground into a meal then used as a mush or mixed with flour to make bread etc[85, 183, 207, 257]. Seedpods - cooked[183]. The hardened cakes of dyestuff (see note on the plants other uses) can be soaked in hot water and then eaten fried[207].

Medicinal Uses

Deodorant Febrifuge An infusion of the plant is drunk in the treatment of fevers and stomach disorders. A poultice made from the pounded, soaked leaves has been applied to sore eyes.

Known Hazards

None known