Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

The bush monkey flower is notable for its cheerful orange and yellow blooms, said to resemble a monkey's face. It's also sometimes called sticky monkey flower because the leaves produce a protective sticky resin. It is a perennial subshrub with flowers that attract hummingbirds and bees.


This low-water plant tolerates a variety of soil types, as long as they are well-draining. In coastal areas, bush monkey flower likes full sun; plant in partial shade in inland gardens.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

4 - 5 ft Tall
5 ft Wide

Form

Mounding, Spreading

Growth rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

None

Calscape icon
Color

Orange, Red, White, Yellow

Flowering season

Winter, Spring, Summer

Special uses

Deer resistant

Sun

Partial Shade, Full Sun

Water

Very Low, Low

Summer irrigation

Max 1x / month once established, Max 2x / month once established

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium

Soil description

Tolerant of difficult soils if adequate drainage is provided. Tolerates serpentine soil..
Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Maintenance

Deadhead to increase flower production. Pinch back new growth in spring to maintain more compact form.

Propagation

From seed or cuttings

Sunset Zones

4, 5, 7*, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Rocky or sandy hillsides, cliffs, canyon slopes, disturbed places in a wide variety of vegetation communities including Chaparral, Coastal Scrub, Pine Forest, Redwood Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Oak Woodland, Foothill Woodland, and Joshua Tree Woodland

Plant communities

Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Joshua Tree Woodland, Northern Coastal Scrub, Northern Oak Woodland

Due to its occurrence in many habitats, Sticky Monkeyflower is associated with hundreds of other plants

Hummingbirds
Bats
Birds
Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

1 confirmed and 7 likely

Confirmed Likely

Variable Checkerspot

Euphydryas chalcedona

Annaphila decia

Annaphila lithosina

Orange Tortrix Moth

Argyrotaenia franciscana