Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
Often found along dry roadsides and waste places, this annual herb that can grow up to 4-feet tall. It has an unpleasant odor and is mostly avoided by livestock.
Its nectar-filled blossoms attract a diverse array of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and wasps.
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant can be found throughout western North America. It is now also naturalized in eastern areas of North America. This species was one of the many new plants collected in 1804 during the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Cleome serrulata is an important cultural plant for many Southwestern Indian tribes. The young, tender shoots and leaves are good sources of vitamin A and calcium. In the past they were used as potherbs or medicinally as teas for fevers and other ailments. The seeds were ground and used to make gruel or bread.
The Navajo still use the plant as a source of yellow-green dye for their beautiful wool rugs and blankets.
Many pueblo tribes use a concentrated form of dye, made from boiling the plant into a thick black resin, to paint designs on pottery or for decorating their baskets.