Flower profile

Rocky Mountain beeplant

Cleomella serrulata

Rocky Mountain beeplant (Cleomella serrulata) is a flowering plant in the Cleomaceae family, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.

Rocky Mountain beeplant is a flowering plant. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.

–states where USDA records it

6Bloomipedia state lists include it

7,881U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

Quick look

Cleomella serrulata, commonly known as Rocky Mountain beeplant/beeweed, stinking-clover, bee spider-flower, skunk weed, Navajo spinach, and guaco, is a species of annual plant in the genus Cleomella. Many species of insects are attracted to it, especially bees, which helps in the pollination of nearby plants. It is native to southern Canada and the western and central United States.
From Wikipedia's article Cleomella serrulata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Cleomaceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nebraska and North Dakota. ^NatureServe
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. ^iNaturalist
In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,665 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #33 among the 160 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,171 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #42 among the 153 flowers on our Utah list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 851 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #66 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,879 records)

Bloom time in the 6 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	June–September	3,665
Utah	Native	July–September	1,171
New Mexico	Native	June–September	851
Wyoming	Native	June–September	358
Nebraska	Native	July–September	204
North Dakota	Native	few records (36)	80

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Colorado.
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
New Mexico: Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. ^{19.21.2.9 NMAC}
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Wyoming.
Nebraska: Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. ^{163 NAC 4-004}
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MO (SH). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.