Mimulus alatus
Winged Monkey Flower
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Mimulus alatus plants have square stems, smooth leaves, and pale blue to violet, snapdragon-like flowers that bloom from June through...
Description:
Mimulus alatus plants have square stems, smooth leaves, and pale blue to violet, snapdragon-like flowers that bloom from June through September. The common name, Winged Monkey Flower, comes from thin “wings” along the stem edges and a flower said to resemble the face of a smiling monkey.
This species grows best in organically rich, moist to wet soils in partial shade, and will spread by both self-seeding and creeping rhizomes. It can tolerate full sun as long as the soil does not dry out. Use Winged Monkey Flower in rain gardens, bog gardens, wet meadows, and along the edges of streams and ponds.
Wildlife value: This species is a host plant for Common Buckeye butterfly caterpillars (Junonia coenia).
Plant Details:
Plant Type: Flower, Perennial
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Summer
Bloom Colors: Blue
Deer Resistance: Some
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Bees and Other Pollinators, Butterflies
Salt Tolerance: Unknown
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic, Neutral
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Partial Shade
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Drought Tolerance: None
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 1 - 3 ft
Spread: .75 - 1.5 ft
Growth Rate: Medium