Cleome on Cape Cod

Question

Should I take the seed pods for next season and cut the cleome I have down or just leave as is?
Thank you

Answer 1

If the seed pods are ripe (yellow) harvest seed or allow the plant to release the seed. Handle the pods carefully as they explode when ripe, flinging the seed several feet away. It will self-sow but plants don't always come up where you want them. The plant itself will not survive winter in Mass. If you have a hybrid Cleome, the seeds do not reliably produce the same colors as the parent plant. After several generations/years of self-sowing, all the flowers may end up the standard pinkish-white color. I would cut the plant down to the ground and let the roots compost in the soil or pull the entire plant for the compost pile.