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Mimulus alatus

 
Mimulus alatus
monkeyflower
Mimulus alatus

Common name monkeyflower
Family phrymaceae
Life cycle perennial (Z3)
Flowers blue (mid-summer)
Size 1-3'
Light sun
Cultural notes moist-wet soil
From seed Self-seeds very occasionally in our garden. Germinate at room temperature with exposure to light.
detailed seed-starting info below
Seed ripensearly October

Since this monkeyflower requires moist soil, we grow it as a pond marginal. Sitting in a pot on our pond's ledge, it requires no care at all (besides uprighting when my boys knock it over). Early in the year, when the pond plants are just waking up, its fresh green foliage is welcome. The blue flowers in summer are nice too - after that, the plant goes into decline; it dies back completely in winter, but returns every year. I originally had this listed as Mimulus ringens (which is how the plant was labeled at the native plant sale where I got it), but a wildflower expert recently set me straight: M. ringens has long-stemmed flowers, whereas the flowers of M. alatus have no stems to speak of.

This plant used to grow in our garden, but it slipped away...

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Seed-starting details for this plant

  1. Seed from '02 garden. Baggy 70F with light (~20%G, 14-21d)
  2. Seed from '06 garden. Baggy 70F with light (~80%G, 8-11d)
  3. Seed from '08 garden. Surface-sowed to pot at 70F (no G, 8w)

Looks like seed loses viability over a few years' storage. Tiny seeds, tiny seedlings.


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