Overview

Cleome, also known as the "spider flower," is a showy annual that is fragrant, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Before sowing cleome seeds in the spring, they need to go through "stratification." Stratification is a method of immitating winter for a seed and then waking it from its dormancy in order for it to germinate. Cleome seeds take the change in temperatures as a signal to wake up. Stratification may sound difficult, but it is a simple process you do right in your kitchen.

Step 1

Soak cleome seeds for 24 hours. To do this, leave them on the counter in a bowl of water.

Step 2

Take your freezer container and layer the bottom with 1/2 inch of wet sand. You want the sand to be wet, but not slushy, and the container type that works best is a rectangular shape that is only two inches tall. Any shape, however, can work, and the size will depend upon how many cleome seeds you have.

Step 3

Put your cleome seeds on top of the layer of sand, and then cover them with another 1/2-inch layer of sand.

Step 4

Place the container in the freezer for four weeks and then move the container to the refrigerator until you are ready to sow.