I’m a new member to this site and I was reading the article on Urban gardening that refers to growing from seeds. I have cleome that is doing very well and I would like to try to propagate it from its seeds but I’m not sure sure which part of the plant is the seed. Can you refer me to any articles that would help me identify which part I should use?

Hi & welcome! Cleome seed pods look like this when ripe:


This pic shows how they start forming from the bottom-up, as the petals attached to each all off and the pods start to grow. They stay green until they have reached their full size, then start to turn brown (like the above pic) as they get ready to explode:


Cleome is a little tricky since the pods explode with explosive dehiscence when the pod is completely ripened, flinging the seeds in all directions. You can use old pantyhose to put a little cover around ripening pods to be able to save the ripe seeds.

In a zone as warm as yours, you may need to refrigerate the seeds for them to able to sprout. I can't offer first-hand info about doing that but I'm sure someone will pop in & share some. They resprouted a little too well when I lived in OH, but I haven't seen any here. I only have Cleome when I can find a plant to buy.

I'm going to request changing the title of this discussion to include the word Cleome so more people familiar with that particular plant can more easily recognize that's what this discussion is about from its' title.

At my house, I don't have to do anything... The cleome comes up in the spring... Pull the extras and pot them up for sharing.
One of those so-called self sowing annuals....
Poppies are another one that self sows.

And.... In the deep south, you don't want to plant morning glories, because they are impossible to get rid of once you have them... Which wouldn't be a bad thing.. If you could grow anything else....

Thank you. I think there is a green pod on there now. I'll watch for it to ripen.