Description
Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens), also known as Allegheny Monkey Flower, is a native herbaceous perennial found in wetland habitats across eastern and central North America. It typically grows 2 to 4 feet tall on square, upright stems that may branch near the top. The leaves are lance-shaped, toothed, and arranged oppositely along the stem, often clasping the stem at the base. From mid-summer to early fall (July to September), Mimulus ringens produces showy, tubular, two-lipped flowers that resemble a monkey’s face—usually lavender to bluish-purple with darker markings and a yellow throat.
Monkey Flower thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers wet to consistently moist soils. It naturally occurs along streambanks, pond edges, marshes, and wet meadows. Hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 8, this plant is well suited for rain gardens, bioswales, and other water-retentive native plantings. It may self-seed in ideal conditions and can form colonies without becoming aggressive.
Ecologically, Mimulus ringens is an excellent pollinator plant, especially for long-tongued bees like bumble bees, which can access its deep corolla. It is also visited by butterflies and hummingbirds. Though not a major host plant for caterpillars, its nectar-rich flowers offer reliable support to pollinators during the high-summer bloom period. The plant’s presence in wetland ecosystems contributes to biodiversity and provides cover for small wildlife and beneficial insects.
