The so-called sticky monkey flowers have leaves with a sticky feel to them, and they sort of grab you. These are native to southern Oregon, California and Baja California. Once established, they do well without summer water.
In the midst of a recent heat wave, I walked around to take a look at my plants. I noted lots of dead wood on the monkey flowers but they still had leaves on the tips. They had not had water since the last rain. Perhaps if I had kept them pruned closer to the ground and cut the dead wood back, the heat wave would not have affected them quite as much. I will see how this approach works next year. The ones in the ground have mostly yellow and light-orange flowers.
I also have non-sticky monkeys in pots, and they are all doing well as they receive regular water. They are not drought tolerant. These bloom in a variety of colors, and some are hybrids. One of my favorites is ‘Spunky Monkey' (Mimulusnaiandinus ‘Mega'). The upper petals are violet pink and the lower petal is white with pink dots. This variety dies down during winter but reseeds easily within the confines of the pot.
Another variety that I really like is ‘Pamela.' It is yellow with white trim around each petal. It blooms over a long period and overwinters well in a pot.
Monkey flowers can be propagated from cuttings. Cut off a healthy growing tip 4 to 6 inches long. Strip off the bottom leaves and put the stem in a moist growing medium. The cutting should root in about two months. If you tug gently and feel resistance, your cutting has rooted. After a few months, replant in a larger pot with potting soil and place in part sun.
You can find many images of monkey flowers online and information about each variety.
Monkey flowers form a seed pod when the flowers have finished blooming. You can collect the seed and start seedlings in early spring, or you can buy seed. Seeds need chilling before they will germinate. The chill causes the seed covering to crack.
To germinate seeds, put them on a damp paper towel or dampened planting mix. If you use a paper towel, put it into a plastic bag. You may also press the seeds into the planting mix and seal the pot with a plastic bag. If the seeds need chilling, put them in the plastic bag in the refrigerator for a month or so. When you take them out of the refrigerator, they will think spring has arrived and germinate quickly. If you have them on the paper towel, press the towel into the planting mix and the roots will grow through the towel. Once the seeds have germinated, treat them like any other seedling by keeping them moist and dividing them once they get three to four leaves.
Native monkey flowers are good candidates for drought-tolerant landscapes. Occasional grooming is all they need. So if you are going to monkey around in the garden, give monkey flowers a try.
Free workshop: Napa County Master Gardeners will conduct a workshop on “Home Composting” on Saturday, September 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Yountville Community Center. Learn how to turn yard waste and kitchen scraps into rich compost to use as a soil amendment or mulch in your garden. The workshop is free but Pre-registration is required. No phone registrations are accepted. You will receive a confirmation and directions after registering. Questions? Call (707) 257-9200.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. Napa County Master Gardeners ( http://ucanr.org/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.