This lecture was given in March, 2011 as part of the California native plant gardening series ‘Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden’

1. Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
Project SOUND – 2011 (our 7th year)
© Project SOUND

2. More (Magnificent)
Monkeyflowers
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
March 5 & 8, 2011
© Project SOUND

3. Monkeyflowers have always enchanted
gardeners  Introduced to British Isles over 200
years ago – seed brought back from N.
America
 As with many other California native
plants, bush monkeyflowers were first
cultivated in British gardens.
 Plants of Mimulus aurantiacus were
grown as far back as 1796 from seed
collected in Monterey or San Francisco
by botanist Archibald Menzies.
 The May 1838 issue of Curtis Botanical
Magazine includes a glowing description
of Mimulus puniceus, "A very elegant
shrub, flourishing in its native soil
nearly the whole year ... it cannot fail to
http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=25906 prove a great ornament to our gardens.“
© Project SOUND

4. Monkeyflowers have always enchanted
the gardener
 Mimulus
 May come either from the Greek
mimo, "an ape," because of a
resemblance on the markings of the
seeds to the face of a monkey, or
 From the Latin mimus, "an actor or
mimic," because the flower is like
the mouthpiece of one of the
grinning masks worn by classical
actors
 The Monkeyflowers are at the
center of scientific activity right
now – for several reasons
http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=25906
© Project SOUND

5. Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Asteridae
Order Scrophulariales
Family Scrophulariaceae – Figwort family
Genus Gambelia Nutt. – greenbright
Species Gambelia speciosa Nutt. – showy greenbright
© Project SOUND

6. Where do the CA Monkeyflowers fit?
Chinese Houses - Collinsia
Linnaeus first classified
the Monkeyflowers
Showy Penstemon © Project SOUND

7. What family do the Monkeyflowers
belong to?
 Linnaeus placed the genus
Mimulus in Scrophulariaceae, the
Figwort Family, and there it
remained in botanical literature
until the mid 1990s, when, due to
the findings of genetic research,
the Figwort Family was greatly
dismembered.
 Disintegration of the Scrophulariaceae - Richard G.
Olmstead, Claude W. dePamphilis, Andrea D. Wolfe, Nelson D.
Young, Wayne J. Elisons and Patrick A. Reeves, American Journal
of Botany. 2001;88:348-361
© Project SOUND

8. Modern taxonomists base their grouping
on similarities at the DNA level
http://geneticssuite.net/node/11
 DNA – the ‘code of life’
 Plants have DNA from 3 sources:
 Nucleus
 Mitochonria Passed down from mother
 Chloroplast only (maternal DNA)
http://www.plantbio.uga.edu/~chris/atlanta.html © Project SOUND

9. Molecular taxonomy groups plants
based on similar DNA sequences
 DNA is extracted
 Then the code is compared
for different taxa [for
example different ‘species’]
 Direct sequencing
 Other techniques that look
for similarities in key regions
of the DNA
 Finally, a taxonomic tree is
developed based on
similarities/ differences
between taxa
© Project SOUND
http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v9/n8/box/nrg2386_BX3.html

10. The Scropulariacea was a
very un-natural ‘family’
 ‘…an unnatural assemblage of plants
distributed throughout the
phylogenetic tree of Lamiales (Mint-
like plants).’
 Characterized by a suite of
generalized traits, which may be
plesiomorphic or commonly recurring
in the Lamiales.
 The lack of distinguishing
characters have precluded division
into well-defined clades that are
traditionally recognized as families.
 Additional segregate genera,
including Mimulus, await further
work to assess their taxonomic
status.
© Project SOUND
http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/88/2/348

11. What family do the Monkeyflowers
belong to?
 Mimulus was placed in Phrymaceae, the Lopseed Family
 Now consists of eleven genera and about 190 species.
 ‘Mimulus’ is comprised of about 120 species, and about 99 are
endemic to western North America and Mexico. About 10
species occur in temperate South America, and the remainder
occur in eastern North America (2 species), Australia (4
species), the Himalayan region (4 species), Madagascar (2
species) and South Africa (1 species).14
Whatever Happened to the Scrophulariaceae? by Richard G. Olmstead in the journal
Fremontia, vol 30 #2, April 2002 published by the California Native Plant Society
© Project SOUND

12. Phrymaceae (Lopseed family)
 Mainly defined by the following
three characteristics:
 Tubular, toothed calyces (5 lobes).
 Stigmas with two lamellas with
sensitive inner surfaces, that close
together on contact with a pollinator.
 Capsules that are readily dehiscent in
the length between the partitions of
the locule.
 The floral structures can be rather
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seaweedlady/2702128598/
different. Their corollas can be
bilaterally or radially symmetrical,
making description difficult.
© Project SOUND
http://www.wnmu.edu/academic/nspages/gilaflora/mimulus_guttatus.html

13. Phrymaceae - much variability among/between
‘species’
 Members occur in diverse habitats,
ranging from deserts, river banks
or mountains.
 They can be annuals or perennials,
from < 1 to 15 ft tall.
 Even reproduction is brought about
by different breeding systems:
asexual, self-fertilizing,
outcrossing or mixed mating. Some
are pollinated by insects, others by
hummingbirds.
http://chestofbooks.com/flora-plants/flowers/Western-Wild-
Flowers/Monkey-Flower-Mimulus-Brevipes-Yellow-Spring-
California.html © Project SOUND

14. Redefining Phrymaceae: the placement of Mimulus,
tribe Mimuleae, and Phryma
Paul M. Beardsley and Richard G. Olmstead - 2002
 Chloroplast trnL/F and nuclear ribosomal ITS and ETS
sequence data were used to analyze phylogenetic
relationships among members of tribe Mimuleae
(Scrophulariaceae) and other closely related families
in Lamiales. The results of these analyses led to the
following conclusions.
 Mimulus is not monophyletic
 In light of the molecular evidence, it is clear that species of
Phrymaceae (~190 species) have undergone two geographically
distinct radiations; one in western North America (~ 130
species) and another in Australia (about 30 species).
© Project SOUND

15. Patterns of evolution in
western North American
Mimulus (Phrymaceae)
P M. Beardsley, Steve E. Schoenig, Justen B.
Whittall and Richard G. Olmstead (2004)
 Looked at many
common & rare
species from
Western N. America
 Findings suggest
that the
classification (and
nomenclature) may
be complex
© Project SOUND

16. A parsimonious
tree
 Note: the
shrubby
Monkeyflower
types cluster
together
© Project SOUND

17. continued
 The herbaceous
types are complex
– and previous
classifications are
not entire
consistent with
the DNA-based
evidence
© Project SOUND

18. What does that mean for us as
gardeners? Tons of troubles
 Even the experts can’t agree right now
 Jepson’s manual now lumps many shrubby Monkeyflowers
under Diplacus aurantiacus
 This extreme lumping probably obscures some evolutional
differences – and ones of importance to the gardiner (flower
size; color)
 Other manuals (and ITIS/Plants) have kept many of the
old names/classes
 The horticultural trade – in despair – has sometimes
used the old names & sometimes made up their own
 And then there are those pesky hybrids!
© Project SOUND
http://www.chemistryland.com/CHM130W/01-Intro/00-Obstacles/PitfallsOfLearning.htm

19. Most CA taxonomists agree to the
following division (at least for now)
 Genus Diplacus
 Shrubby/bush Monkeyflowers
 Really are sub-shrubs – 2-4 ft tall
 Flowers usually in reds & oranges
 Common in drier areas at mid-
elevations (foothills)
 Genus Mimulus
 Herbaceous Monkeyflowers
 Perennials or annuals - < 2 ft tall
 Flowers often yellow – but not
always
 From wet places: low to very high
elevations (riparian; seeps; etc.)
© Project SOUND

20. Sticky (Bush) Monkey Flower - Diplacus aurantiacus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36386822@N07/3458022529
© Project SOUND

21. You may have seen Sticky
Monkeyflower in Santa Monica Mtns
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/113496/
© Project SOUND

22. Sticky Monkeyflower is typical of the shrubby Diplacus
 rocky hillsides
 cliffs
 canyon slopes
 disturbed
areas
 borders of
coastal sage
scrub,
chaparral,
open forest
Dry, open areas with
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/monkeyb2.htm
poor soils
http://members.aol.com/skkato1/StickyM.html
© Project SOUND

23. Growth habit and other characteristics
 Size: 2-4 ft tall and wide
 Narrow glossy sticky dark
green leaves
 Summer-deciduous in hot
climates/gardens
 Attractive mounding to
sprawling shape
 Lives to 10 years – slightly
less in gardens, particularly if
given summer water
 Young leaves can be eaten (a
bit bitter, tho’) and were
used as an antiseptic for
cuts, rope burns, etc.
© Project SOUND

24.  Shape: typical of Phrymaceae
Flowers are also  Tubular, toothed calyces (five lobes).
representative….  Stigmas with two lamellas. The stigma
lips will close if you poke them with a
twig, but will open again later. If
pollen was deposited however, they
will remain closed.
 Capsules that are readily dehiscent in
the length between the partitions
 Blooms: Mar.-Aug; long-blooming,
which can be extended by pruning
after first bloom
 Flower color: usually buff-orange
or light orange; tube usually white
with 2 yellow-orange bands
 Hummingbird pollinated; but also
attracts bees, butterflies (esp.
Checkerspots & Buckeyes)
© Project SOUND

25. Light & shrubby
Monkeyflowers
 What is the ‘right’ amount
of light?
 Dappled shade is probably
optimal
 High bright shade (under tall
trees w/ high canopy
 Morning sun (east side of
structures; shrubs)
 Even northern exposures, as
long as they aren’t in dense
shade
© Project SOUND

26. Consequences of light regimens
 Full sun
 Difficult to maintain in our area
 Plants will be summer dormant
 Plants shorter
 Light/part shade
 Long bloom season
http://www.phoenixinfinite.com/index.php?p=
1_13_Spring-Garden-Show-Plant-List  May be evergreen depending on
Water Zone
 Good foliage & flower color
 Even shadier
 Decreased flowering
 Almost vine-like habit; like a
true groundcover
© Project SOUND

27. * Large-flowered Monkeyflower – Diplacus grandiflora
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND

28. * Large-flowered Monkeyflower – Diplacus grandiflora
 W. base of Sierras from Plumas &
Butte to Placer Co
 Rocky places below 5000 ft.
 Rocky cliffs, hillsides, canyon
slopes, disturbed areas
 Borders of chaparral, oak
woodland & even conifer forest
 Normally grows on granitic soils
 AKA: Azalea-flower Monkeyflower
 In the trade:
 Mimulus bifidus
 Diplacus aurantiacus grandiflora
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=5491
© Project SOUND

29. Large-flowered Monkeyflower: smaller shrub
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 3-4 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Semi-deciduous sub-shrub
 Upright (sunnier) to more
sprawling habit; more refined
looking than others
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DIGR5  Lives 10-20+ years
 Foliage:
 Leaves linear to lance-shaped
 Medium to dark green; sticky on
hot days
 Reminiscent of azaleas
 Larval food – Buckeye butterflies
J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences
 Roots: fibrous – good soil-binding
© Project SOUND
© 2000 Joseph Dougherty/ecology.org

30. Showiest of the Bush
Monkeyflowers
 Blooms:
 In spring – usually Apr-Jul
in western L.A. county
 Flowers:
 Large size – up to 2” across
 Color: varies, but often mid-
to light orange with darker
throat markings
 Look very azalea-like
 Numerous blooms – probably
the most showy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33818785@N00/2393843850/
 Seeds: numerous tiny seeds
(look like fine grind pepper) in
dry papery capsule
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2332819910044943617iHxqyG
© Project SOUND

31. J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Brother Alfred Brousseau @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DIGR5

32.  Soils:
One tough customer..  Texture: well-drained (sandy
or rocky)
 pH: any local (to pH of 5)
 Light:
 Part-shade is best; dappled
shade or high shade from
trees is ideal
 Needs afternoon shade
Brother Alfred Brousseau @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database  Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: best with occasional
water – Zone 2 or even 2-3 in
sandy soils
 Will lose leaves – but survive –
Zone 1-2
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
© Project SOUND
http://www.windmillnurseryinc.com/m12/116--mimulus-bifidus-apricot-monkeyflower.html

33. Large-flowered Monkeyflower:
a show-stopper
 In shady areas under trees –
even near lawns with excellent
drainage
 Fine under oaks and other
Jo-Ann Ordano © California Academy of Sciences summer-dry trees
 Good choice for slopes – nice
groundcover
 Adds beauty and habitat value
to the butterfly & hummingbird
garden
 As an attractive pot plant
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Mimulus-bifidus/
© Project SOUND

34. Watering the shrubby Monkeyflowers
 Many do best with very good drainage –
sandy or rocky soils are optimal
 Most actually have a wide summer water
tolerance in well-drained soils
 More water (Zone 2 to 2-3)
 Evergreen & lush
 Possibly longer bloom season & more
blooms
 Likely shortens life
 Less water (Zone 1-2 to 2)
 Less prone to deer damage
© 2000 Joseph Dougherty/ecology.org
 Better for plant health – longer life (15-
20 years possible)
 Will lose it’s leaves and look like dead
sticks (or very sickly) © Project SOUND

35. Several natural cultivars are available
‘Esselen’
‘White’
© Project SOUND

36. * Southern Bush Monkeyflower – Diplacus longiflorus
http://www.laspili
tas.com/nature-
of-
california/plants/
diplacus-
longiflorus
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND

37. * Southern Bush Monkeyflower – Diplacus longiflorus
 Southern CA: southwestern
(ocean-influenced) & interior
 San Gabriels; Verdugo Mtns, Chino
Hills, foothills of OR Co.
 Dry, coast and intermountain
slopes to 5000 ft. – often on
outcroppings, in intermittant
streams or under oaks
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-
 In trade:
calrecnum=5530
 Diplacus auranticaus longiflorus
 Mimulus longiflorus
© Project SOUND
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

38. Flowers: light orange
or yellow (usually)
 Blooms: in spring, usually Mar-
July in our area
 Flowers:
 Typical Monkeyflower shape,
but large size
 Corollas are noticeably
longer than other species
(hence its name)
 Flower color ranges from
light toffee-orange, yellow
to almost white; variable
even within a single garden
 Seeds: many tiny seeds in
papery capsule typical of genus
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's
College © Project SOUND

39. Managing bush Monkeyflowers: follow
Mother Nature’s cues
 To keep your plant dense, pinch
back new growth in spring/early
summer
 Cut back watering after flowering
 Plants will need yearly reshaping -
old growth becomes leggy, brittle.
 Once the wood has hardened,
prune off at least one-third to
one-half of each stem, leaving a
few inches of the current year's
wood.
© Project SOUND

40. Forcing flowering with native
Monkeyflowers – the choice is yours
 If you treat them like a
regular garden plant
(deadhead, water &
fertilizer) they'll flower
for months and months
 But they'll live for only a
few years if you continually
push the flowers.
http://www.calown.com/nativegarden_plants.html
 They basically flower
themselves to death.
© Project SOUND

41. Diplacus linearis : similar to Sticky Monkeyflower
but with narrower leaves
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=dilo6
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/diplacus-
aurantiacus-australis-ramona
© Project SOUND

42. Diplacus puniceus – one choice for reds
‘Pumpkin’ form
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database http://www.laspilitas.com/groups/Monkey_flower/Cali
Brother Alfred Brousseau @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database fornia_monkey_flower.html
Grows in Orange &
San Diego counties,
Catalina
© Project SOUND
http://www.westernhort.org/plant_notes200904.html

43. Island Bush Monkeyflower – Diplacus parviflorus
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © Project SOUND

44. Island Bush Monkeyflower – Diplacus parviflorus
 An ‘Island endemic’ - N. Channel
Islands & San Clemente Island
 Canyons & bluffs; often in part-
shade
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Californian_Channel_Islands_map_en.png
© Project SOUND

45. Island Bush Monkeyflower: typical Diplacus
 Size:
 2-3 ft tall
 2-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Semi-deciduous sub-shrub
 Perhaps a bit more woody
than other species
 Foliage:
 Medium to dark green
 Leave lance-shaped; glossy &
sticky
 Attractive
© 2003 Loretta Metz © Project SOUND

46. Flowers contrast
beautifully with the foliage
 Blooms:
 In spring – usually Mar-June
or July
 Fairly long bloom season
 Flowers:
 Medium size for Bush
Monkeyflowers (~ 1 inch
across)
 Usually bright crimson red –
but may be slightly orange;
remind one of Catalina
Snapdragon or CA Fuschia
 Extremely showy – one of best
flower colors
Robert Potts © California Academy of Sciences
© Project SOUND

47. Collecting Monkeyflower seeds - easy
 Let the capsules dry on the plant
 Collect the capsules; place in a
paper bag in a cool, dry place for
several weeks
 Either:
 Break open capsules by hand
 Rub over a mesh screen; separate
seeds from chaff by pouring
through a finer mesh
 Store in a labeled envelope in a
cool, dry place
http://flowers-macrophotography.blogspot.com/2010/06/pests-on-mimulus-flower-help-gardeners.html
© Project SOUND

48. Growing shrubby monkeyflowers from
seed
 Start in spring (or indoors)
 Most locally grown seed need no
treatment; mountain & N. CA seed may
need cold-moist treatment
(stratification)
 Mix seed with fine, dry sand (to aid in
spreading)
http://hazmac.biz/090916/090916MimulusFlemingii.html
 Prepare pots – regular potting mix fine –
water well & place in bright place
 Sprinkle sand/seed mixture over potting
soil
 Water seeds in; keep soil moist
© Project SOUND

49. Island Monkeyflower  Soils:
is undemanding  Texture: well-drained best,
but clays OK
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Morning sun or dappled/light
shade for best color &
growth
 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: best with occasional
water – Zone 2
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
© Project SOUND

50. Use Island Monkeyflower
for a touch of red
 As an attractive pot
plant
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/4142947199/
© Project SOUND
© 2004 Heath McAllister

51. * Santa Susanna Bush Monkeyflower – Diplacus rutilus
© Project SOUND
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

52. Diplacus rutilus - Santa Susana Monkey
Flower
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/diplacus-rutilus
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=27584
© Project SOUND

53. Most CA native Monkeyflowers have
warm-colored flowers/foliage
http://www.wildflower
.org/plants/result.php
?id_plant=DIGR5
http://jimschrempp.com/friends/20070428CNPSGarden
Show.htm
Like CA Poppies, they
add a ‘spot of sunlight’
to the garden
© Project SOUND
http://www.uwgb.edu/heuerc/2D/ColorTerms.html

54. http://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/m/mimulus_aurantiacus_a.htm
http://www.visionspictures.com/cms_detail_base.php?pic_id=9825
Glorious in so many settings
© Project SOUND
http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2009/09/irresistible-monkeyflowers.html

55. Why so much variability in the
Monkeyflowers?
Two ‘forms’ of
Diplacus puniceus
© Project SOUND

56. How do species arise/develop? How
does this relate to the Monkeyflowers?
 Speciation: The evolutionary
formation of new biological
species, usually by the division of a
single species into two or more
genetically distinct ones.
 Allopatric Speciation -- speciation
occurs in geographic isolation –
many mountain (& even foothill)
species/populations have been
separated for 1000’s of years
 Founder Effect Speciation -- a
special kind of allopatric speciation
in a small isolated population on
the edge of a species range –
‘Island Endemics’
© Project SOUND

57. Artificial (and natural) garden hybridization
has occurred in annual Mimulus for years
 In Britain, CA native
Mimulus guttatus & M.
moschatus have hybridized
naturally with Chilean M.
luteus and M. cupreus
http://theseedsite.co.uk/profile203.html  Artificial crosses were made
with Australian & Indian
varieties and with CA native
M. bigelowii from S. CA
deserts to obtain spotted &
pink forms
© 2004 James M. Andre  These have now naturalized
in many parts of the British
Isles
http://www.easybloom.com/plantlibrary/plant/monkey-flower
© Project SOUND

58. Recently, the hybridizing trend has spread
to the shrubby Monkeyflowers
 Plant breeders have had a field day with the perennial
monkeyflowers.
 Major breeders: Richard Persoff, David Verity
(UCLA), Phil Van Soelen (Cal Flora Nursery) Donald
Sexton at UC Davis Arboretum, and Lee Lenz at Rancho
Santa Ana Botanic Garden.
 Native plant nurseries such as Yerba Buena Nursery,
Tree of Life Nursery, Theodore Payne Foundation,
and Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, and others
have gotten into the business.
 Every year there seem to be more/new/better
cultivars every year!!!!.
© Project SOUND
http://www.legaljuice.com/2007/06/transgender_minister_reappoint.html

59. David Verity
 20-year breeding program with bush
monkeyflowers at the UCLA Botanic Garden
[Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden].
 Goal: true breeding strains with large flowers
 Developed many hybrids, some with colors not
seen in nature, such as violet-red and pink.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dballentine/4861732390/
‘Valentine’  Program curtailed when the university needed
his growing grounds for other purposes.
Cuttings/seeds to interested nurseries and
botanic gardens before plants were destroyed.
 Some still available: the vivid red 'Valentine',
the white-throated 'Ruby Silver', the durable
orange cultivar fittingly just called 'Hybrid
Orange' and the eponymous 'Verity White'.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94965373@N00/
‘Ruby Silver’ © Project SOUND

60. Richard Persoff
 Started collecting seeds and
cuttings of interesting natural
varieties of CA species 40 years ago
 Goal: plants that are vigorous and
pest-resistant; has also selected for
non-sticky cultivars.
 Has produced some promising
material that is being sold under the
name, ‘Persoff’s Hybrids’. The
following all belong to this group:
 ‘Becky’: Apricot-colored blossoms.
 ‘Grady’: Golden-yellow flowers.
 ‘Jack’: Burgundy-red flowers.
 ‘Maddie’: Palest cream-colored
blossoms.
 ‘Miranda’: Light orange flowers.
 ‘Sam’: Pale, butter-yellow flowers.
 ‘Trish’: Dusky rose-pink blossoms.
http://nativeson.com/annotated_catalog/mcatalog.htm
© Project SOUND

61. Scott Trees – Ornamental Plant Breeder
 Ph.D. Plant Genetics - Senior Plant Breeder
New Crops at Ball Horticultural Company ;
Senior Plant Breeder New Crops at
PanAmerican Seed Company
 Ball Ornamental Plants ‘Curious Monkeyflower
Series’ - wild-collected monkeyflowers
crossed with ‘commercial material’
 Goal: profuse displays of large, frilly flowers
borne on compact plants
 First released in 2010
 'Peek-a-Boo White', others in this series
include 'Georgie Yellow' (AKA 'Georgie Boy
Yellow'), Georgie Red (AKA 'Kissable Red) and
'Georgie Tangerine' (AKA 'Tempting
Tangerine').
http://www.smgrowers.com/info/images.asp?strLetter=M&page=3
‘Georgie Red’ / ‘Kissable Red’
© Project SOUND

62. Mimulus hybrids – yellows
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdispla
y.asp?plant_id=3547
'Georgie White'
‘Sam’ ‘Georgie Yellow’
‘Jellybean Gold’
‘Payne’s Yellow’ © Project SOUND

63. Mimulus hybrids - oranges
http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisp
lay.asp?plant_id=3548
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_m/mimpeahyb.html
‘Dos Equis’
‘Peach’ 'Georgie Tangerine'
http://www.packtrials.org/packtrials02.cfm?id=462
http://www.bewaterwise.com/Gardensoft/plant_descriptio
n.aspx?PlantID=22997
‘Verity Hybrid Orange’ ‘Jelly Bean Light Orange’
‘Pumpkin’ © Project SOUND

64. Mimulus hybrids - reds
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plan
tdisplay.asp?plant_id=2702
‘Jack’ hybrid
‘Ruby Silver’ ‘Valentine’
http://www.smgrowers.com/info/images.asp?strLetter=M&page=3
‘Jellybean Dark Pink’ http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/category
_list.asp?cat_id=9&page=19
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/collections/72157600017435472/
‘Georgie Red’ ‘Trish’ © Project SOUND

65. Many good things about the hybrids…
 Glorious color palette: any warm
color is possible – pastel to bright
 Flowers large & showy – like
azaleas or some tropical plant
 Some of them have other desirable
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news_features/home_and_gard
en_design/2004/aug2004/plants.php
traits:
 Compact
 Less sticky
 May be more ‘garden hardy’ – take
a little more water, etc.
 All of these features increase
interest in CA native plants
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/page180/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82479320@N00/2444544430/
‘Trish’ © Project SOUND

66. My misgivings about the hybrids…
 Parentage (particularly as the breeding gets more
into the hands of traditional plant breeders rather
than CA native plant enthusiasts)
 Integrity of local native species & varieties –
particularly in a family known for both hybridization
and naturalization
 Unintended consequences of breeding:
 Loss of habitat value
 Loss of vigor
 Loss of drought-tolerance
 Many have not been in gardens very long – so we
don’t really know how well they’ll do
© Project SOUND

67. Producing new hybrids at home
 Select two parent species
with desirable
characteristics
 Hand pollinate (making
sure that your pollen is the
only pollen that is allowed
to pollinate)
 Collect the seeds
Really no different from
breeding orchids or other  Grow up the plants to see
types of plants – just requires what you get – will likely be
time & patience a real mixture of traits
© Project SOUND

68. Scarlet Monkeyflower - Mimulus cardinalis
© Project SOUND

69. Growing Scarlet Monkeyflower is ease itself!
 Quite easy
 Light: partial shade is
best; tolerates full sun to
full shade
 Soils: any texture: pH
from acid to alkali – very
versatile
 Water: one of the “water-
loving” monkeyflowers
© Project SOUND

70. Uses in the garden
 On slopes, as a ground cover
 Bordering paths and roads
 In planters (probably also
large pots)
 In informal garden beds
 In hummingbird gardens
 Wet spots in the garden (low
spots; under birdbath; where
it receives sprinkler spray)
 Beside ponds and streams
 It can grow in a pond setting
as well, as long as the
crown is above the waterline
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/Premium/Garden/2002/11- © Project SOUND
Nov/WildlifeGardens1102/WildlifeGarden11021.html

71. ** Mimulus cardinalis
natural cultivars
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_m/mimcarsanisl.html
http://students.washington.edu/kjbyers/
‘Yellow’ – natural cultivar from
WA state
'Santa Cruz Island Gold'
© Project SOUND

72. Why the interesting coloration?
Surely not to attract us – or is it….?
 It turns out the
Monkeyflowers can
tell us a great deal
about the co-
evolution of
flowers & their
pollinators
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mimulus_nectar_guide_UV_VIS.jpg
daylight UV light
© Project SOUND

73. Kelsey J.R.P. Byers (grad student, U of WA) is using
M. cardinalis hybrids to study plant-pollinator
interactions
Mimulus cardinalis
hummingbird
 Studies are providing answers to:
 Genetics of flower color and scent
Artificial hybrids production
 The cues pollinators use to find
Mimulus lewisii appropriate flowers
bumblebee
http://students.washington.edu/kjbyers/ © Project SOUND

74. But maybe you were thinking of
something more petite…..
© Project SOUND

75. * Primrose Monkeyflower – Mimulus primuloides
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
© Project SOUND

76. * Primrose Monkeyflower – Mimulus primuloides
 Primarily NW CA -
Cascade Range, Sierra
Nevada
 var. (ssp) primuloides -
locally in San Bernardino
Mountains, San Jacinto
Mountains, Mt. Pinos
 var (ssp) linearis – very
short – N. CA
 Moist meadows, seeps &
stream sides to 11000'
© Project SOUND
© 2001 Steve Schoenig

77. Primrose Monkeyflower is small & dainty
 Size:
 6-12 in tall; ssp. linearis is < 6 in
 to 12 in wide; slowly increases
 Growth form:
 Evergreen herbaceous perennial
 Low, even mat-like habit
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences
 Foliage:
 Leaves opposite; variable in
shape,
 Variable in color from green to
purple-green, shaggy-hairy to
hairless
http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/imagelib/imgdetails.php?imgid=214297 © Project SOUND
© 2001 Steve Schoenig

78. Flowers: suspended like
violets above the foliage
 Blooms:
 Summer-bloomer in wild
 Usually Spring to early summer
(May-July) in local gardens
 Flowers:
© 2003 Steve Matson  Mid-size ( ½ - 1 inch across)
 Bright yellow; often with red
splotches
 Relatively ‘open’ but with long
throat – ‘hummingbird plant’
 Held above the foliage – really
nice presentation!
 Vegetative reproduction: adds
new plants on outside of clump
© Project SOUND
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences

79. Dividing the clumping perennial
Monkeyflowers is easy
 Wait until late
winter/early spring –
when you start to see
new growth
 Simply divide, making
sure you include
adequate roots
 Repot – then treat
gently (shade; no
fertilizer) for ~ 4-6
weeks until rooting is
complete
http://westerncascades.com/2010/08/28/pikas-and-a-coyote-and-monkeyflowers-oh-my/
© Project SOUND

80. Primrose Monkeyflower  Soils:
likes a drink  Texture: any well-drained
 pH: any local but best if slightly
acidic (5.0-7.0)
 Light:
 Full sun (with abundant water)
to part-shade
 Water:
 Winter: fine with winter
flooding
 Summer: moist ground or right
at water’s edge (Zone 3)
 Fertilizer: fine (slightly
decreased strength) or supply leaf
mulch
 Other: ‘difficult to grow’ only
because of water requirements
© Project SOUND
© 2007 Neal Kramer

81. Grow Primrose Monkeyflower
in damp places
 Perfect for the bog or rain garden
 In a well-watered pot
 Around water features: streams,
J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences waterfalls, fountains
 Even tucked into corners of the
veggie garden
http://www.laporteavenuenursery.com/html/mimulus_primuloides.html
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/VegFruit/sitetips.htm
http://www.lvye88.com/garden-fountain/
© Project SOUND

82. Human uses of Mimulus species
 Mimulus species tend to concentrate
sodium chloride and other salts
absorbed from the soils in which they
grow in their leaves and stem tissues.
 Native Americans & early travelers in
the American West used this plant as
a salt substitute to flavor wild game.
 The entire plant is edible, but
reported to be very salty and bitter
http://blog.diggerslist.com/2010/04/09/weekend-project-how-to-
build-a-garden-fountain/
unless well cooked.
 The juice squeezed from the plant's
foliage was used as a soothing
poultice for minor burns and skin
irritations.[
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences
© Project SOUND

83. http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/bioref/Plantae_Mimulus/robertsii1.jpg
http://www.em.ca/garden/native/nat_mimulus_guttatus1.html
 Annual (and short-lived perennial) Monkeyflowers
often grow in seasonally moist places
© Project SOUND

84. Seep (Common Yellow) Monkeyflower
Mimulus guttatus
http://www.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/~db50/FOTO_-_Archiv/Mimulus%20guttatus%20BotKA%20S1.jpg © Project SOUND

85. Seep (Common Yellow) Monkeyflower
Mimulus guttatus
 Found: Western N. America
from Canada to N. Mexico
 Former names: many (but
not used in horticultural
world)
 Common habitats:
 Moist to wet soils of
springs, seeps, marshes,
meadows, and stream banks
 Generally terrestrial but
sometimes found emergent
or floating in mats
© Project SOUND

86. Mimulus species are helping push back
the frontiers of science
 Several taxa, namely the yellow monkey-flowers (M.
guttatus and relatives) and the section Erythranthe
(including e.g. M. lewisii, M. cardinalis and M. parishii)
are model organisms for research in ecology, genetics
and genomics.
 Why good model organisms?
 Relatively small genome
 High genetic diversity
 Live in variety of environments – even within a species
 Short generation time
 Easy to make hybrid crosses
 Natural hybridization barriers – wide range
 The genome sequence of Mimulus guttatus was
released in late spring, 2007.
http://openwetware.org/wiki/Mimulus_Species © Project SOUND

87. Mimulus guttatis sheds light on ecology:
Microscale local adaptation on a thermal gradient
 In Yellowstone Park, Mimulus guttatus is one of the few
plant species growing in hot soils near thermal pools/vents.
 Plants in thermal soils flower months earlier and senesce
earlier due to rapid drying of the thermal soils.
 Common garden experiments suggest that phenological
(early bolting), morphological (short internodes, smaller
flowers), and mating system (high self-fertility)
differences between thermal and nonthermal Mimulus
guttatus have a substantial genetic component.
 This adaptive differentiation limits thermal-nonthermal
http://dbs.umt.edu/research_labs/fishmanl
gene flow at one high elevation site, but differentiation is
ab/FISHmanlab_Research_Adapt.html maintained in the face of substantial gene flow at the
lower elevations.
What we learn from the Monkeyflowers may play an important role in
how we face the challenges of global climate change
© Project SOUND

88. Many-flowered Monkeyflower – Mimulus floribundus
© Project SOUND

89. Consider using annual
Monkeyflowers
 Edges of ponds (or in them)
 Regularly watered flower beds
 Under the bird bath; near
fountains
 Naturally damp areas of the
garden; use with sedges (Carex)
and rushes (Juncus)
 In the wildflower garden/
prairie
 In the vegetable garden –
leaves & flowers are edible
http://www.s-
weeds.net/familjer/tubiflorae/scrophulariaceae/pix/mimulus02.jpg © Project SOUND

90. * Parish’s Monkeyflower – Mimulus parishii
© 2001 Steve Schoenig
© Project SOUND

91. * Parish’s Monkeyflower – Mimulus parishii
 Plant of the desert foothills:
 s Sierra Nevada, Southwestern
California (and adjacent w Desert –
desert side of San Gabriel mtns)
 Desert Mountains (Granite, New
York, Panamint mtns)

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7177,7386,7431  Uncommon in wet, sandy stream
sides, primarily in pinyon-juniper
woodlands
© Project SOUND

92. The Parish Brothers were important
early plant collectors in S. CA
 Samuel Bonsall Parish (1838-1928) and William Fletcher Parish
(1840-1918) - botanical collectors who lived on a ranch in San
Bernardino, California
 They made extensive exploring trips through the mountains and
deserts of the inland empire.
 Samuel was the more devoted of the two and corresponded with and
was on very familiar terms with many of the leading botanists of the
day
 "William served in the Civil War. Later he live in Long Beach. By
1906 he was living at Redondo, and later in Hermosa Beach.“
 Many plant names honor these important collectors: Allium parishii,
Atriplex parishii, Chaenactis parishii, Chamaesyce parishii,
Cheilanthes parishii and many others endemic to Riverside and San
Bernardino counties
© Project SOUND

93. Parish’s Monkeyflower – quite a different look
 Size:
 < 1 ½ ft tall
 1 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Annual wildflower
 Erect habit; stout with
substantial side-branching
 Foliage:
 Leaves simple, somewhat
succulent; entire plant is
hairy
 Color: attractive light
green
© Project SOUND

94. Flowers: so sweet…
 Blooms:
 Summer in local mtns
 Probably spring (Apr-June)
in local gardens
 Flowers: just exquisite
 Small (< ½ inch)
 Pale shell pink/purple
with yellow markings
 Lovely, old-fashioned look
 Seeds:
 Many little seeds
 Experiment with cold
treatment; follow seller’s
instructions or ask
© Project SOUND
© 2009 James M. Andre

95. Annual Monkeyflowers: are annual wildflowers
at heart
 Soils:
 Texture: any; well-drained
best
 pH: any local
 Light: full sun or light shade
 Water:
 Winter: needs moist soils
 Summer: let plants dry out
after flowering ceases
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: gravel/crushed rock mulch
© Project SOUND

96. *Calico Monkeyflower – Mimulus pictus
Mark W. Skinner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND

97. *Calico Monkeyflower – Mimulus pictus
 Southernmost Sierra Nevada
and adjacent Tehachapi
Mountains in Tulare and Kern
Counties
 Bare, sunny areas around
shrubs, rock outcrops on
granitic soils - elevation 300 –
4200 ft.
 Forest and woodland habitat
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Mimulus+pictus
© Project SOUND

98. Calico Monkeyflower – a tiny delight!
 Size:
 usually 6-12 inches tall
 ~ ½ - 1 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Annual wildflower
 Upright with little branching
 Foliage:
 Medium green; stems and leaves
may be red- or purple tinged
 Leaves ovalish to lance-shaped;
entire plant hairy
© Project SOUND
Mark W. Skinner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

99. Flowers are tiny….
 Blooms: in spring (Mar-May)
 Flowers:
 Small (< ½ inch across)
 Petals very simple – flower
looks flat and not much like
a Monkeyflower
 Color: white with maroon
markings – very unique and
showy (looks like calico
print, hence the common
name)
 Capsules: small (~ ¼ inch) ,
papery with many little seeds
© 2006 Aaron Schusteff © Project SOUND

100. Annual Monkeyflowers:
easy from seed
 Will re-seed nicely if
happy; deadhead if you
don’t want seedlings
http://back40feet.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html
© Project SOUND

101. Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: likes well-drained
sandy or rocky – any will do
 pH: any local – pH down to 5.5
 Light:
 Morning sun to light shade.
 Fine under taller trees
 Water:
 Winter: soil needs to be
moist - supplement if needed
 Summer: taper off after
flowering is completed
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: gravel/crushed rock
mulch facilitates re-seeding
© 2006 Aaron Schusteff
© Project SOUND

102. Garden uses for Calico
Monkeyflower
 An unusual addition to any
hanging basket.
 Trailing over moist walls -
Mimulus pictus is gorgeous
Mark W. Skinner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
trailing down, its bloom is
an ivory white with
beautiful, intricate
markings.
 Lovely amongst Goldenrods,
Miner’s lettuce, etc.
 Growing between stepping
stones
© Project SOUND

103. We’ve learned many things about our
fascinating (and unique) CA native
Monkeyflowers
© Project SOUND

104. Look around your garden – there’s surely
room for at least 1 Monkeyflower
Visit Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
& Nurseries soon for inspirationSOUND
© Project

105. Now let’s raffel off our Seep
Monkeyflower
© Project SOUND