Bloomipedia
Rocky Mountain beeplant (Cleomella serrulata)
Photo: Colin Croft via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Rocky Mountain beeplant

Cleomella serrulata

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
6of our state lists
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.

  • 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 June–September. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,665 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #33 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,171 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #42 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 851 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #66 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist

Rocky Mountain beeplant gift ideas

Handmade rocky mountain beeplant gifts from independent makers.

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,879 records)
Bloom time in each of our 6 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
ColoradoNativeJune–September3,665
UtahNativeJune–September1,171
New MexicoNativeJune–September851
WyomingNativeJune–September358
NebraskaNativeJuly–September204
North DakotaNativeJune–September80

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.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

More Colorado flowers

Sources