Why is monkey flower called that?
Sticky monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus) is a beautiful drought tolerant plant. The name “monkey flower” was given to this plant because of the strange shape of its flowers, which can look like grinning monkey faces; and they really do!
Is Mimulus an evergreen?
A colorful southern Oregon, California and Baja California native, award-winning Mimulus aurantiacus (Bush Monkey Flower) is a bushy evergreen shrub with narrow, lanceolate, dark-green leaves typically 2-3 in. long (5-7 cm) on very sticky stems, and flowering stems that grow vertically.
When was the monkey flower discovered?
1804
When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Corps of Discovery started on their western trek to the Pacific Ocean in 1804, most of the plant species of western North America were still unknown to the scientific world.
Is Mimulus flower a perennial?
Mimulus guttatus (Yellow Monkey Flower) is an annual or short-lived, spreading, mat-forming perennial boasting bright yellow, snapdragon-shaped flowers spotted with red on the lower lobes. Borne in succession from early spring to late summer, the showy blossoms are borne on leafy stalks in the upper leaf axils.
Why is Mimulus called monkey flower?
Monkey-flowers get their name because the flowers of some species have a shape resembling a monkey’s face. Back in the early 19th Century, two species of monkey-flower, Mimulus guttatus and and M. luteus, were introduced to Britain from North America and South America, respectively.
What does monkey flower look like?
flowers have an upper petal with two lobes and a lower petal with three lobes. The blossoms are often spotted and multicolored and the overall appearance resembles a monkey’s face. Taking care of monkey flowers is easy as long as they get plenty of moisture.
Can you over winter Mimulus?
When growing Mimulus, plant out any time after May; or plant out in late September for over-wintering plants to flower early in the succeeding spring.
Does monkey flower need full sun?
The blossoms are often spotted and multicolored and the overall appearance resembles a monkey’s face. Taking care of monkey flowers is easy as long as they get plenty of moisture. They thrive in full sun or partial shade.
What does a monkey flower look like?
Why are sticky monkey flowers sticky?
The stickiness of the leaves and sepals comes from glandular secretions. This resin, which makes up almost 30% of the leaf’s weight, helps to lessen the impact of an herbivorous threat: the larvae of specialist butterfly Euphydryas chalcedona.
Will Mimulus come back every year?
Life Cycle: Half hardy perennial. Perennial commonly grown as a half hardy annual by gardeners.
What do Mimulus look like?
The Mimulus is a cheerful addition to the garden that spreads out from a base, sprawling its growing stems and their bright, typically yellow flowers. Mimulus plants include annuals, herbaceous varieties and those which can be considered as sub-shrub. They will ramble out in search of the sun.