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This has been blooming in the sun in my yard in Massachusetts for the past two weeks. We've only lived here since last spring and since I didn't plant it, I'm guessing it's a perennial. What's intriguing is that the flower smells like it's been sprayed by a skunk. The leaves have no odor. Can anyone tell me what it is?

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J. Musser
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Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
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1 Answers1

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It looks like Cleome hassleriana, commonly known as spider flower.

Identifying characteristics are the compound leaves with seven leaflets, the long petioles (leaf stalks), the way that the individual flowers are held tightly furled around the flower head, and the long stamens visible on the older flowers lower down on the head.

It's an annual, and spreads easily, so you may end up with more of it next year if you don't remove the seed heads when they form (if they even will, this late in the year).

Niall C.
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  • Yup. Funny it doesn't have any fully opened flowers, after blooming for two weeks. – J. Musser Oct 29 '14 at 22:18
  • @J.Musser If you [zoom in](http://i.stack.imgur.com/YcAjZ.jpg), you can see where some flowers have lost their petals further down on the head. – Niall C. Oct 29 '14 at 22:19
  • You can also see this when you zoom out. I meant, it's unusual for these to bloom in periods like that, mine always bloomed continuously. – J. Musser Oct 29 '14 at 22:21
  • Could it be an offspring from a plant that seeded earlier this year? That might explain why it's only been flowering for two weeks if it's just now reached maturity. – Niall C. Oct 29 '14 at 22:24
  • Sure. They seed like crazy. in fact, I don't plant them anymore, opting for something more tame in my location. – J. Musser Oct 29 '14 at 22:26
  • Thanks all! I found one other nearby in an area in which I planted annuals, so I may have dug some up inadvertently. @Niall, according to the site you sent, as well as some I found today, mine, at 24", is shorter than the norm, and should have had more open flowers. I like having color in the fall, so I'll leave it and see what happens next year! – Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL Oct 31 '14 at 16:55