Growing Monkey Flower

Plant monkey flower in a part-shade or filtered shade location. Part-shade is three to five hours of direct sunlight a day. Filtered shade can be longer as long as it is dappled and not direct sun continuously. Grow the woody, shrub-like monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus or Diplacus aurantiacus) in well-drained soil. These types are native to California and are found along coastal and rocky areas where water is scarce. However, Mimulus hybridus and many of the other herbaceous Mimulus species are tender perennials or annuals and like moist, rich soil, high in organic matter.

Fertilize monkey flowers minimally, especially the aurantiacus shrubby types. A half-strength dose of an all-purpose fertilizer one or two times during the growing season is sufficient.

Provide supplemental watering during the growing season for herbaceous monkey flowers. Growing them near a bog or a stream provides humidity that they like as well. The woody monkey flowers are very drought tolerant and do not need supplemental watering.

Remove spent flowers to encourage additional blooming later in the season. If you live in a warm climate and your monkey flower grows as a perennial, cut it down to the ground in the spring. Cut the shrubby forms to about 1 foot tall in the spring.

Harvest seeds in the fall and sow them in the spring to have more plants next year. Mimulus seeds germinate easily.