Carried by 9 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Mimulus lewisii (Lewis' Monkeyflower or Great Purple Monkeyflower) is a perennial herb in the Phrymaceae (Lopseed) family. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Colorado, where it grows in moist habitat such as streambanks at elevations between 5,000 and 10,000 ft. In California it is found primarily in the Sierras. It is named in honor of Meriwether Lewis. This is a mountain species that requires higher elevations, snow in winter, cool temperatures in summer, and plenty of water. The flowers are attractive to hummingbirds. This would be a nice plant if your garden is in Mammoth Lakes or Truckee.
Perennial herb
10 - 31 in Tall
Winter Deciduous
Pink, Purple, Red
Summer
Containers, Deer resistant
Full Sun
High
Max 1x / week once established
Easy
Tolerates cold to -10 °F
Medium
Prefers rich, moist, loamy soil.
Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0
For propagating by seed: No treatment.
1*, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Streambanks, seeps at mid-to-high elevations in the Sierras
Lodgepole Forest, Red Fir Forest, Subalpine Forest, Yellow Pine Forest, Wetland-Riparian
Trees: White Fir (Abies concolor), Rocky Mountain Maple, (Acer glabrum), Western Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis), Pine (Pinus contorta or monticola), Cottonwood (Populus spp.), Canyon Oak (Quercus chrysolepis)
Shrubs: Pine Mat Manzanita (Arctostaphylos nevadensis), Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii or sericea), Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), Currant/Gooseberry (Ribes spl.), and Huckleberry (Vaccinium spp.)
Herbs: Sitka Columbine (Aquilegia formosa), Larkspur (Delphinium spp.), Sulphur Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum), Gentian (Gentianella spp. or Gentianopsis spp.), Pink Alumroot (Heuchera rubescens), Alpine Lily (Lilium parvum), other Mimulus spp., Idaho Blue Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium idahoense), and Viola spp.
Butterflies and moths supported
0 confirmed and 9 likely