The evergreen silver lupine provides year-round interest in the garden. A member of the pea family, it has attractive silver-green leaves that add a pop of color and texture to the garden. In the spring, it boasts large flower spikes that range in color from pale blue to deep purple. The blooms are attractive to pollinators, especially bees.

This stunning shrub prefers dry, sandy, well-drained soil. No need to add compost; silver lupines do best in nutrient-poor soil. Plant in full sun and limit summer water. This plant can be short-lived but does well in the right conditions.

Lupinus albifrons var. collinus is one of four varieties of Silver Bush Lupine. Var. collinus grows in northern and central California in the Coast Ranges, Klamath Mountains, and foothills of the northern Sierras. It tends to grow in open and sand or rocks, at elevations from 0-6600 feet.

Coastal Bush Lupine (Lupinus arboreus) is a shrub in the Legume family (Fabaceae). Easily recognized by its spires of bright yellow flowers, it also has purple-flowering forms in the wild, although they are less common. The leaves are gray-green and covered with fine, silky hairs. The palmate leaves are made up of 5 to 7 leaflets. Coastal Bush Lupine supports a wide range of pollinators, especially butterflies and moths.

It is native to coastal habitats such as bluffs, dunes, and slopes, where it provides erosion control. Grow in full sun in very well-drained soil in a yard that can accommodate its large size.

Because it has been widely introduced, there is some uncertainty about its native range; it is thought to be native from Point Reyes National Seashore south to San Luis Obispo County. One of the few native plants that the California Invasive Plant Council has determined is invasive in regions outside its natural range. It's invasive in north coast dunes, especially around Humboldt Bay. With its large number of seeds, Coastal Bush Lupine can become an aggressive spreader in some parts of California; cutting off the dead flower stalks before they form seeds can control this issue.

Lupinus argenteus is a species of lupine known by the common name silvery lupine. It is native to much of western North America from the southwestern Canadian provinces to the southwestern and midwestern United States, where it grows in several types of habitat, including sagebrush, grassland, and forests. This is a perennial herb growing erect to heights anywhere between 10 centimeters and 1.5 meters. It is sometimes silvery-hairy in texture and sometimes nearly hairless. Each palmate leaf is made up of 5 to 9 leaflets each up to 6 centimeters long. They are narrow and linear in shape, under a centimeter wide. The flower cluster bears many flowers, sometimes arranged in whorls. The flower is 5 to 14 millimeters long and purple, blue, or whitish in color. The banner, or upper petal, of the flower may have a patch of white or yellow. The fruit is a hairy legume pod up to 3 centimeters long containing several beanlike seeds.

Lupinus benthamii is a species of lupine known by the common name spider lupine. It is endemic to central California, where it is known from the Central Coast Ranges across the Central Valley into the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is common in some areas, covering hillsides with its blue blooms in the spring. This is a hairy annual herb growing 20 to 70 centimeters tall. Each palmate leaf is made up of 7 to 10 leaflets each up to 5 centimeters long. They are narrow and linear in shape, just a few millimeters wide. The flower cluster is an erect raceme of flowers up to 30 centimeters tall, the flowers sometimes arranged in whorls. The flower is between 1 and 2 centimeters long and bright to deep blue in color, generally with a white or pink spot on the banner, or upper petal. The fruit is a hairy legume pod about 3 centimeters long.

Miniature Lupine (Lupinus bicolor) is a petite annual wildflower, just 3 inches tall, showcasing clusters of blue and white spring blooms that may vary geographically to magenta or purple.

This adaptable lupine thrives in full sun along the coast and part sun inland, preferring well-drained soil but tolerating various types. Often paired with California poppies, it is typically grown from seed, planted ¼ inch deep in the fall.

Miniature lupine attracts numerous insects and serves as a host plant for the Arrowhead Blue butterfly, making it a charming and ecologically valuable addition to native gardens.

Lupinus breweri is a species of lupine known by the common names Brewer's lupine and matted lupine. It is native to much of California, except for the deserts, and to adjacent sections of Oregon and Nevada, where it is common in some areas, particularly mountain forests. This is a hairy, mat-forming perennial herb, sometimes becoming like a shrub, with a woody base. The leaves spread out from the stem. Each palmate leaf is made up of 5 to 10 woolly leaflets each up to 2 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a dense raceme of flowers a few centimeters tall, each flower 4 to 11 millimeters long. The flower is blue or purple with a white or yellowish spot on the banner. The fruit is a silky-hairy legume pod 1 or 2 centimeters long.

Lupinus chamissonis is a species in the Fabaceae (Legume) famly known by a number of common names. It is endemic to California, where it is known from most of the length of the coastline and scattered inland locations. It grows in sand dunes and other immediate coastal habitat. This is a spreading, bushy shrub growing one half to two meters tall. Each palmate leaf is made up of 5 to 9 leaflets up to 2.5 centimeters long. The herbage is coated in silvery hairs. The flower cluster bears whorls of flowers each about one to 1.5 centimeters long. Each flower is light purple to blue with a yellow spot on its banner. The fruit is a hairy legume pod 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters long.

Lupinus concinnus is a species of lupine known by the common name Bajada lupine. It is native to the southwestern United States from California to Texas, and northern Mexico, where it is known from many types of habitat. This is a hairy erect or decumbent annual herb with a stem growing 10 to 30 centimeters long. Each small palmate leaf is made up of 5 to 9 leaflets up to 3 centimeters long and under a centimeter wide, sometimes narrow and linear in shape. The flower cluster is a dense spiral of flowers, with some flowers also appearing in leaf axils lower on the plant. Each flower is 5 to 12 millimeters long and purple, pink, or nearly white in color. The fruit is a hairy legume pod around a centimeter long.

Lupinus excubitus is a species of lupine known as the grape soda lupine. Its common name refers to its sweet scent, which is said to be very reminiscent of grape soda. This species and its variants are found in the southwestern United States, especially in California, and in far northern Mexico. The plant is a small shrub with gray-green foliage. The fan-shaped leaves are each made up of 7 to 10 narrow leaflets. The raceme flower cluster is a tall stalk of rich purple flowers, each with a bright yellow spot. The occasional variant has white flowers. The fruit is a silky legume pod up to 5 centimeters in length containing mottled brown seeds.

Mountain Bush Lupine (Lupinus excubitus var. austromontanus) is a native shrub that grows in Southern and Central California, primarily in the Tehachapi Mountains and Transverse Range regions. It tends to grow in , at elevations from 3300-9800 feet.

Lupinus formosus, the summer lupine, is a member of the lupine genus Lupinus in the Fabaceae family. This lupine is especially attractive to pollinators due to its summer-fall blooming season. Will spread slowly by rhizome. This species dies back in winter but usually resprouts in early spring. It is native to California. Lupinus formosus has been cited as a poisonous plant. Although it is not endangered it faces eradication in some areas at the hands of cattle farmers as it has been implicated in crooked calf disease. This lupine, along with five others, is poisonous from the time it starts growth in the spring until the seed pods shatter in late summer or early fall. However, the younger the plant the more toxic it is.

Lupinus grayi is a species of lupine known by the common name Sierra lupine. It is endemic to California, where its distribution extends the length of the Sierra Nevada and its foothills and includes the Tehachapi Mountains. It is a common plant of the mountain forests, where it sometimes carpets meadows with its woolly green herbage and purple flower spikes. This is a low, prostrate perennial herb forming spreading mats 20 or 30 centimeters high. Each palmate leaf is made up of 5 to 11 leaflets up to 3.5 centimeters long. The flower cluster bears dense whorls of flowers each just over a centimeter long. Each flower is purple or blue with a yellow or reddish patch on the banner. The fruit is a hairy legume pod up to 3.5 centimeters in length.

Lupinus hirsutissimus is a species in the Fabaceae (Legume) family known by the common name stinging lupine. It is native to the coastal mountains of Baja California and California as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area, where it grows on dry mountain slopes, including areas that have recently burned. It is an erect annual herb growing 20 centimeters to one meter tall; it may exceed one meter in habitat recovering from wildfire. The stem and herbage are coated in long, stiff hairs that sting skin when touched. Each palmate leaf is made up of 5 to 8 leaflets up to 5 centimeters long and 1 or 2 wide. The flower cluster bears several flowers generally not arranged in whorls. Each flower is between 1 and 2 centimeters long and purple to dark pink in color with a yellowish to pinkish spot on its banner. The fruit is a hairy legume pod up to 4 centimeters long.

Lupinus latifolius is a species of lupine known by the common name broadleaf lupine. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Baja California to New Mexico, where it is common and can be found in several types of habitat. There are several subtaxa, described as subspecies or varieties, some common and some rare. They vary in morphology. In general this plant is an erect perennial herb. It grows 30 centimeters to over two meters in height, in texture hairy to nearly hairless. Each palmate leaf is made up of several leaflets, those on larger plants up to 10 centimeters long. The flower cluster bears many flowers, sometimes in whorls. Each flower is one to two centimeters in length, purple to blue to white in color, the spot on its banner yellowish, pinkish, or white. One rare subtaxon, Lupinus latifolius var. barbatus, is endemic to the Modoc Plateau of northeastern California and adjacent territory in Oregon and Nevada. The subtaxon dudleyi is known only from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Parish's Lupine (Lupinus latifolius var. parishii) is a native perennial herb that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-11500 feet.

Lupinus longifolius is a species of lupine known by the common name longleaf bush lupine. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges and hillsides of southern California and Baja California, where it grows in local habitat in the canyons and slopes, such as scrub and chaparral. This is a bushy, erect shrub which can reach a maximum height around 1.5 meters. Each palmate leaf is divided into 5 to 10 leaflets up to 6 centimeters long. The herbage is green or gray-green and coated in short, silvery hairs. The flower cluster is long, narrow raceme of many flowers each between 1 and 2 centimeters in length. The flower is purple or blue, sometimes with a whitish patch on its banner. The fruit is a dark-colored, hairy legume pod containing 6 to 8 seeds.

Lupinus luteolus is a species of lupine known by the common names pale yellow lupine and butter lupine. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of Oregon and California as far south as the Transverse Ranges, where it grows in open habitat such as clearings and sometimes disturbed areas. It is an annual herb with a rigid stem growing to maximum heights anywhere between 30 centimeters and 1.5 meters, and known to exceed that at times. Each palmate leaf is made up of 7 to 9 hairy leaflets 1 to 3 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a raceme of crowded whorls of flowers each just over a centimeter long. The flower is often pale to bright yellow, but can be blue or pinkish. The fruit is a hairy, rounded or oval legume pod generally containing 2 seeds.

Lupinus microcarpus (Wide-bannered lupine or Chick lupine), is a species of lupine native to western North America from southwestern British Columbia south to the Mojave Desert in California and Baja California, and also a disjunct population in South America in central Chile and western Argentina. It is very widespread in California, from sea level in the north of the range, up to 1600 meter in the southern part of the state. It is an annual plant growing to 80 centimeter tall. The leaves are palmately compound with 5-11 leaflets 1-5 centimeter long and up to 1 centimeter broad. The flowers are generally pink to purple in color, but can also be between white and yellow; they are produced in open whorls on an erect spike. There are three recognized varieties with overlapping ranges. It is found in many different habitats.

Dense Flowered Platycarpos (Lupinus microcarpus var. densiflorus) is an abundant native annual herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in open or disturbed or recently burned places, at elevations from 0-5200 feet. This variety (densiflorus) is one of three recognized varieties that have somewhat overlapping ranges. Densiflorus generally has pale yellow flowers, but they may also be tinged with pink or purple.

Valley Lupine (Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus) is a abundant native annual herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in open or disturbed or recently burned places, at elevations from 0-5000 feet.

Lupinus nanus ("Sky Lupine", "Field Lupine", "Dwarf Lupin" or "Douglas' Annual Lupine"), is a species in the Fabaceae (Legume) family native to the western United States. It grows abundantly in chaparral clearings and along slopes in California, Nevada, and eastern Oregon. In California it is most common in the Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills. As an annual, it is best grown from seed (see instructions below) and will self-sow. 

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Selected for the garden.

Lupinus odoratus is a species in the Fabaceae (Legume) family known by the common names Royal Lupine or Mojave Lupine. It is native to the Mojave Desert and adjacent western Great Basin in the United States, where it grows in sandy or gravelly soils in open habitat. It is an annual herb growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall. Each palmate leaf is made up of 7 to 9 green leaflets up to 2 centimeters long. The herbage is generally hairless except for new growth. The flower cluster is an upright spiral of many flowers each up to a centimeter long. The flowers are royal purple-blue in color with a white spot on their banners, and have a scent similar to that of violets. The fruit is a thin legume pod up to 2 centimeters in length.

Lupinus polyphyllus is a species in the Fabaceae (Legume) family that is native to a large part of western North America. In California it is found primarily in the Sierras and other northern mountains. It commonly grows along streams and creeks, preferring moist habitats. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with stout stems growing to 1.5 meter tall. The leaves are palmately compound with (5-) 9-17 leaflets 3-15 centimeter long. The flowers are produced on a tall spike, each flower 1-1.5 centimeter long, most commonly blue to purple in wild plants. It is almost always grown from seed.

Coastal Bush Lupine (Lupinus propinquus) is a native shrub that grows in central California.

Lupinus sericatus is a species of lupine known by the common name Cobb Mountain lupine. It is endemic to the North Coast Ranges of California north of the San Francisco Bay Area, where it grows in the forest, woodlands, and chaparral of the slopes and canyons. It easily colonizes disturbed habitat as well. This is a perennial herb growing up to half a meter tall. Each palmate leaf is made up of 4 to 7 distinctive wide spoon-shaped leaflets each 3 to 5 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a raceme of several whorls of purple flowers, each flower between 1 and 2 centimeters long. The fruit is a hairy legume pod 2 or 3 centimeters long.

Lupinus sparsiflorus, Coulter's lupine, is a species in the Fabaceae (Legume) family native to North America. In the United States it occurs in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, and in Mexico it is found in Baja California and Sonora. In California it is found from the coast to the dry inland mountains of the southern part of the state. Other common names include Mojave lupine, a name it shares with Lupinus odoratus. This is an annual herb growing 20 to 40 centimeters tall. Each palmate leaf is made up of 7 to 11 very narrow leaflets up to 3 centimeters long and just a few millimeters wide. The flower cluster is a fuzzy spiral of several flowers each around a centimeter long. The flower is blue or purple, becoming darker with age, with a white to pink patch on its banner. There is one reocognized subspecies, ssp. mohavensis, which is found only in the desert or semi-desert areas of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Lupinus stiversii is a species of lupine known by the common name harlequin lupine. It is endemic to California, where it has a disjunct distribution in several separate mountain ranges. It is a plant of the Sierra Nevada and its foothills, and populations also occur in the Transverse Ranges above Los Angeles and the Santa Lucia Mountains of Monterey County. It grows in open, dry habitat, such as forest clearings and exposed slopes. It is a hairy annual herb growing 10 to 50 centimeters tall with an erect, branching stem. Each palmate leaf is made up of usually 7 leaflets measuring 2 to 5 centimeters in length. The flower cluster is a dense array of a few flowers, often just one or two layers. The unique flower is between 1 and 2 centimeters long and is pink with a yellow banner. The fruit is a legume pod around 2 centimeters long containing usually 5 seeds. The plant was named for Army physician Dr. Charles Austin Stivers, who first collected it in 1862 near Yosemite.

Succulent lupine (Lupinus succulentus) is an annual with dark green six-fingered leaves and spikes of purple-blue flowers that bloom in winter to spring. Sometimes flowers are shades of light purple, pink, and white. It grows fast to reach 2 to 4 feet  tall and 3 feet wide. The fruit is a hairy legume pod. Caution: seeds, leaves and stems are toxic.

This plant is popular in gardens because it is the most water-tolerant of all lupines. It prefers full sun and moist clay or heavy soils. The amount of fertility and moisture generally dictates the height of the plant. The seed germinates easily in any season given enough water. Seeds can be treated before planting by pouring hot water over them in a cup and allowing them to soak. They should be planted about a quarter inch deep. The plants compete with weeds and add nitrogen to the soil. Sow in a mass for best effect.

Tolerates almost any soil type. Selected by Roger Raiche.

Lupinus truncatus is a species in the Fabaceae (Legume) family known by the common name Collared Annual Lupine. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges and canyons of Baja California and California as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area. It grows in slope habitat such as chaparral and woodland, including areas that have recently burned. This is an annual herb growing no more than half a meter tall. Each palmate leaf is made up of 5 to 8 narrow linear leaflets measuring 2 to 4 centimeters in length and just a few millimeters wide. The leaflets usually have truncate tips, or tips that appear sharply cut off and squared, the characteristic that gives the plant its species name. The flower cluster is a raceme of widely-spaced flowers each roughly a centimeter long. The flower is magenta or reddish purple in color with a yellowish or magenta patch on its banner. The fruit is a hairy legume pod about 3 centimeters long and half a centimeter wide.

Lupinus variicolor, varied lupine, manycolored lupine, Lindley's varied lupine or varicolored lupine is a shrub in the lupine (lupin) genus Lupinus. Its range is restricted to the northern coastal scrub and coastal prairie in the U.S. state of California. It thrives in elevations between 0 and 1,640 feet L. variicolor is endemic to the U.S. state of California where it occurs mostly along the northern coast, though it has also been reported in Sutter County, California. It is one of the foodplants of the endangered mission blue butterfly.

Malacothamnus clementinus is a rare species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name San Clemente Island bushmallow. It is endemic to San Clemente Island, one of the Channel Islands of California, where it is known from fewer than ten occurrences in the steep, rocky seaside canyons. The plant became a federally listed endangered species in 1977 when it was limited to a single population nearing extinction due to herbivory by the feral goats which once infested the small island. The goats have since been removed and the plant is recovering well, but many threats still remain, including competition with introduced species of plants, wildfire, erosion, and damage to the landscape by United States Navy bombing exercises. This is a bushy shrub with a thin, multibranched stem coated in long, fine hairs. It reaches heights between 40 centimeters and one meter. It bears rounded dark green leaves several centimeters long which are divided into sharp lobes. The flower cluster is a spikelike cluster of a few pale pink, lavender, or nearly white flowers with somewhat lance-shaped, hairy petals several millimeters long. It rarely produces fertile seed and it is believed to propagate itself mainly via rhizomes.

Malacothamnus davidsonii, also known by the common names Davidson's bushmallow and Davidson's bush mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family. Malacothamnus davidsonii is endemic to Los Angeles County, California, where it grows in chaparral, oak woodland, and other habitats on slopes. Plants previously called Malacothamnus davidsonii from Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties were described as the new species Malacothamnus discombobulatus in 2023. Malacothamnus davidsonii is an erect shrub with a thick, multibranched stem reaching 3-5 metres (9. 8-16. 4 ft) in maximum height. It is coated densely in short, woolly fibers, appearing feltlike. The thick, hairy leaves are rounded, divided into several dull lobes, and wavy along the edges. The largest leaves may approach 20 centimeters long. The inflorescence is an elongated cluster of many pale pink, hairy flowers with oval or somewhat triangular petals about half a centimeter long.

Chaparral Mallow is an attractive evergreen shrub with pale pink flowers that grow on branching, elongated clusters. In full bloom, one plant can have thousands of flowers. It is attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, and other small birds.

This plant has a fast growth rate and can reach up to 16 feet tall and 10 feet wide. It is a good choice for bank stabilization and erosion control in larger spaces. In smaller gardens, pruning can help keep it under control.

Santa Cruz Island Bushmallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. nesioticus) is a rare native shrub that grows in southern California.

Malacothamnus nuttallii grows primarily in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Malacothamnus nuttallii has been recognized as a variety of M. fasciculatus in the past. It is in cultivation as a selection under the name Malacothamnus nuttallii 'Casitas" and incorrectly as Malacothamnus fasciculatus 'Casitas'.

Tolerates almost any soil type. A selection introduced by suncrest Nurseries.

Cambria Bushmallow (Malacothamnus palmeri) is a rare native shrub that grows in San Luis Obispo County.

Changeling monkey flower (Mimulus 'Changeling') is a semi-evergreen perennial subshrub in the lopseed family (Phrymaceae), known for its ruffled, trumpet-shaped blossoms in soft orange, red, and cream hues. Each flower varies slightly in coloration as it matures, creating the distinctive and appealing “changeling” effect. This hybrid grows up to 3 feet tall and wide and does well in containers or garden beds.

Native monkey flowers are typically found in coastal cliffs, canyon slopes, and other disturbed areas below 3,000 feet in elevation. Plant this hybrid in full sun near the coast or light shade inland, in well-draining soil. Once established, it is drought adapted, although occasional summer water can help prevent full dormancy. Pinching back in fall or winter encourages fresh growth and more blooms, but avoid hard pruning, which the plant may not recover from.

Changeling monkey flower supports a wide range of pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are all drawn to its vivid blooms. Painted lady and checkerspot butterflies also use the plant as a larval host.

Sticky Monkeyflower is a native shrub that grows in southern and central California. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-7500 feet. Has yellow to orange flowers.

Mimulus bigelovii is a species in the Phrymaceae (Lopseed) family known by the common name Bigelow's monkeyflower. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it grows in desert and slope habitat. This is a hairy annual herb producing an erect stem 2 to 25 centimeters tall. The plant is variable in size and shape as well as color, the herbage being green to nearly red in color. The pointed oval or rounded leaves are each up to 3.5 centimeters long and arranged in opposite pairs about the stem. The tubular base of the flower is surrounded by a reddish-green or purple ribbed calyx of hairy sepals with long lobe tips. The trumpet-shaped flower corolla is roughly one to two centimeters long and has a very narrow tube and a wide mouth. The corolla has two upper lobes and three lower, and is generally magenta or deep pink in color with darker red, purple, and yellow spots in the throat. This plant is seldom seen in the garden but is common in desert canyons in spring of good rainfall years.

Mimulus brevipes is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name widethroat yellow monkeyflower. It is native to the mountains and foothills of southern California and Baja California, where it grows in chaparral, especially open areas such as those recently cleared by wildfire. This is a hairy annual herb producing an erect stem reaching maximum heights anywhere between 5 and 80 centimeters tall. The paired opposite leaves are lance-shaped to oval and are up to 9 centimeters long. The tubular throat of the flower is encapsulated in a hairy calyx of sepals up to 2.5 centimeters long with pointed tips, some longer than others. The bright yellow flower corolla is up to 3 centimeters long with five lobes at the mouth, two on the upper lip and three on the lower.

Mimulus clevelandii (syn. Diplacus clevelandii) is an uncommon species of monkeyflower known by the common name Cleveland's bush monkeyflower. It is native to the Peninsular Ranges of southern California and Baja California, where it grows in chaparral and woodland habitat, including disturbed areas. It is a sturdy perennial herb producing a hairy erect stem up to 90 centimeters tall from a woody caudex. The hairy lance-shaped or oblong leaves are up to 10 centimeters long and oppositely arranged, often with smaller leaves growing in their axils. The tubular base of each flower is encapsulated in a hairy calyx of sepals over 2 centimeters long with long, pointed lobes. The flower corolla is bright yellow and up to 4 centimeters in length with a wide, five-lobed mouth.

Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.

Mimulus dentatus is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name coastal monkeyflower. It is native to the western coast of North America from British Columbia to northern California, where it grows in moist habitat. It is a hairy rhizomatous perennial herb producing an upright stem up to about 40 centimeters tall. The veined oval leaves are up to about 7 centimeters long and oppositely arranged about the stem. The tubular base of the flower is encapsulated in a ribbed calyx of sepals with pointed lobes at its mouth. The funnel-shaped yellow corolla is up to 4 centimeters long with a wide mouth divided into two lobes on the upper lip and three on the lower. It is a hairy rhizomatous perennial herb producing an upright stem up to about 40 centimeters tall. The veined oval leaves are up to about 7 centimeters long and oppositely arranged about the stem. The tubular base of the flower is encapsulated in a ribbed calyx of sepals with pointed lobes at its mouth. The funnel-shaped yellow corolla is up to 4 centimeters long with a wide mouth divided into two lobes on the upper lip and three on the lower.

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.

Mimulus pictus is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name calico monkeyflower. It is endemic to central California, where it is known only from the southernmost Sierra Nevada and adjacent Tehachapi Mountains in Tulare and Kern Counties. It grows in forest and woodland habitat, in open, bare, rocky, and often disturbed areas. This is an annual herb growing in a small patch at ground level or erect to a maximum height of about 38 centimeters. The stem is hairy and rectangular in cross-section. The oppositely arranged leaves are somewhat oval in shape and up to 4.5 centimeters long. The tubular base of the flower is encapsulated in a dark reddish calyx of sepals with uneven lobes. The five-lobed flower has a maroon throat and the circular face is white with stark maroon veining.

Mimulus primuloides is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name primrose monkeyflower. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in wet habitat in mountains and plateau areas, such as streambanks. It is a perennial herb growing in low patches or mosslike mats and spreading via rhizome and stolon. The stem is no more than about 12 centimeters long. The oppositely arranged leaves are variable in shape, variable in color from green to purple-green, shaggy-hairy to hairless, and up to 5 centimeters long. The flower arises on an erect pedicel. The tubular base of the flower is encapsulated in a hairless calyx of sepals. The bright yellow flower is up to 2 centimeters long. It is divided into an upper lip with two lobes and a lower lip with three. Each of the three lower lobes are usually dotted with red.

Primrose Monkeyflower (Mimulus primuloides ssp. linearifolius) is a native perennial herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the Klamath Mountain Range region. It tends to grow in wet meadows, seeps andstreamsides, at elevations from 2000-7200 feet.

Monardella australis is a perennial herb growing in a small tuft and producing long, sometimes erect flowering stems. The pale green or grayish leaves are oval or lance-shaped and often toothed.

The plant is endemic to southern California, in the Greater Los Angeles Area. It is known only from populations in the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains of the eastern Transverse Ranges, and the adjacent San Jacinto Mountains of the Peninsular Ranges. Its habitats include the red fir forest and yellow pine forest on the higher slopes of the ranges.

A great butterfly plant for a rock garden or other small space. Inland, protect from afternoon sun. Both leaves and flowers are fragrant. Distasteful to deer.

Monardella breweri is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name Brewer's monardella. Monardella breweri is endemic to California, where its range extends from the San Francisco Bay Area through the Central Coast Ranges to the Transverse Ranges, including the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Greater Los Angeles area. Its habitat includes chaparral and oak woodland. Monardella breweri is endemic to California, where its range extends from the San Francisco Bay Area through the Central Coast Ranges to the Transverse Ranges, including the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Greater Los Angeles area. Its habitat includes chaparral and oak woodland. Monardella breweri is a hairy annual herb producing a branching erect stem up to about 65 centimeters in maximum height. The oppositely arranged oval leaves are up to 4. 5 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of stiff, pointed, veined, purplish bracts up to 3 centimeters wide. Each hairy pinkish five-lobed flower is just over a centimeter long.

Monardella linoides is a species of flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae) known by the common names flaxleaf monardella and narrow leaf monardella. It is native to southern California and adjacent sections of Nevada, Arizona, and Baja California, where it grows in many types of habitat from desert flats to subalpine forests. It is a gray-green perennial herb producing a slender erect stem up to about 50 centimeters in maximum height. The linear to oval leaves are 1 to 4 centimeters long and coated in grayish hairs. The flower cluster is a head of several flowers blooming in a cup of pale whitish or pink-tinged papery leafs 2 or 3 centimeters wide. The flowers are just over a centimeter long and light purple in color. There are several subspecies of this plant. One closely related separate species called Monardella viminea (willowy monardella), is a rare plant limited to northern Baja California and parts of San Diego, California. It is treated as a federally listed endangered species in the United States. All are low growing, highly aromatic herbs that like afternoon shade, look great in a rock garden and also do well in containers.

Monardella macrantha is a species of flowering plant in the Laminaceae (Mint) family known by the common name Red Monardella. It is native to coastal mountain ranges of southern California and Baja California, at elevations from 2,000 ft. to over 7,500 ft. It grows in several habitat types, including chaparral, woodland, and forest. It is a perennial herb forming a low tuft of slender stems lined with thick, shiny green leaves up to 3 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a head of several tubular flowers blooming in a cup of red-tinged green leaves up to 4 centimeters wide. The clustered flowers are bright red to yellowish in color, sometimes exceeding 4 centimeters in length with narrow lobed mouths. It has a reputation for being somewhat difficult to get established and short-lived, but the showy flowers and fragrance make it worth the effort.

Horticultural selection from Monardella macrantha. Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil. Prefers sun or part shade in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Selected for the garden.