Wide-throated Yellow Monkeyflower is a bright yellow, fragrant annual wildflower native to coastal sage scrub and chaparral in southwestern California. It has slender green stems and leaves that grow 1-3 feet tall and wide. The large, showy yellow flowers bloom from April to June and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It is often used in wildflower gardens, cottage gardens, and rock gardens due to its showy blooms and ability to thrive in well-drained soils with full sun to partial shade.

1. Wide-throated Yellow Monkeyflower – Mimulus brevipes
(MIM-yoo-lus bre-VI-pees)
Family: Phrymaceae (Monkeyflower Family)
Native to: Southwestern CA from Santa Barbara to Baja; dry, bare or exposed areas in coastal sage
scrub or chaparral, most often after fire or other disturbance.
Growth characteristics: annual wildflower
mature height: 1-3 ft. mature width: 1-3 ft. W
Pretty, erect wildflower with slender stems and leaves that are bright green, sticky. Lush-looking.
May last several seasons in our mild climate, but most often grown as an annual.
Blooms April-June. Flowers are bright yellow, showy, fragrant, very large for
Monkeyflower (to 1 inch). ‘Throat’ very open compared to other Mimulus. Fruit is dry, papery.
Blooms/fruits:
Uses in the garden: Most often used in wildflower prairies, cottage gardens and rock gardens. A
very showy bloomer – nice massed on dry slopes and other well-drained areas of garden. Good in
pots, containers. Real bright spot in the late spring garden. Locate for enjoying fragrance.
Sensible substitute for: Non-native Mimulus; other yellow-flowered annuals like yellow poppies.
Attracts: Excellent nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies and other native pollinators.
Foliage provides caterpillar food for the Common Checkerspot and Buckeye butterflies.
Requirements:
Element
Sun
Soil
Water
Fertilizer
Other
Requirement
Full sun to partial shade (open or bright shade)
Prefers sandy or rocky; well-drained
Semi-moist during bloom season. Dry after flowering to promote good seed
production.
None required. Will do fine in soils previously fertilized (garden beds)
Treat as for any other native annual.
production. Will self-seed, but not weedy.
Management:
Let soils dry after flowering for seed
Propagation: from seed: collect seed from dry pods in summer (seed very small). Plant in pots or
directly in the garden in spring.
Sow seed on surface of soil, keep moist.
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 10, 13
1/2/07

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