PlantFiles: Scarlet Monkey Flower
Mimulus cardinalis

I am growing Mimulus cardinalis (Scarlet Monkey Flower) in Battle Ground WA and had many nights around 20 degrees this winter and my plants continue to thrive. I have them mulched well with bark for the winter. I am growing some in morning sun, afternoon shade that is only slightly moist and they are spreading well, but not aggressively - and they are easy to remove if they spread where you don't want them. I am moving some to a sunnier and wetter bog location this week and also some to a shadier, dryer location as an experiment this year to see how each does. Will report back. Treat these like chrysanthemums as far as trimming them back when they get about 12 to 18 inches high to force more compact growth. This will help them from getting tall and leggy later in the summer.

I have had this plant before, mine was purple, and was a beautiful plant. I had it about 4 years and then last year ,it just did not come back. I would like to know where to buy some more of them . I understand they come in several different colors. Each year mine would come back, multiplie very fast,and the blooms droop down and look like a little monkey face. They have multiple blooms. I would love to have some in each color.

A creeping perennial from West USA and Mexico.

Has toothed, light green, ovate, downy leaves on erect hairy stems. Bears bright red, tubular, slightly flatterned at the sides (bit like pinched in cheeks) flowers sometimes with a yellow spotting in the throat.

Flowers July - September

Likes a moist or boggy, humus rich, fertile soil in full sun or light shade. Will spread where happy and produces quite a lot of seed.

Not fully hardy but will stand some frosts to about 23F.

Slugs can be a problem.