Mimulus luteus
Monkeyflower
Common names: Yellow monkeyflower
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Hardy with protection
Description
Mimulus luteus, commonly known as the yellow monkeyflower, is a perennial herb that produces bright yellow, often speckled with red, funnel-shaped flowers from June to September. Native to South America, it has naturalized in moist habitats in temperate regions. It thrives best along wet pond edges, in shallow water, or in consistently damp beds, where it forms dense, carpet-like clumps over time. The plant is non‑poisonous and is well suited for naturalistic water gardens and family beds.
Care instructions
Plant in a sunny to partially shaded spot with constantly moist to wet soil, such as directly beside a pond or in a shallow water zone up to 5 cm deep. Water regularly in drier sites, as the plant tolerates little drying out. Remove spent flowers continuously to encourage prolonged blooming and maintain compactness. In winter, a light mulch layer protects the plant in mild climates; in harsher regions, overwinter it in a frost‑free, moist area. In spring (around mid‑April, week 16), dense clumps can be divided to produce new plants.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJun–Sep
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, humus-rich, well-drained, nutrient-rich
The yellow monkey flower loves it moist to wet and forgives even occasional waterlogging at pond or stream edges. Give it a humus-rich, nutrient-rich soil that holds moisture well. Heavy, compacted soils you best loosen with compost, so that water and air can circulate. A slightly acidic to neutral pH suits it best.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
May–Jul
One application of compost in spring is usually enough for the yellow monkey flower for the whole season. With energy-sapping continuous flowering, you can help along in early summer with diluted nettle feed. As it loves moist sites, rain washes out nutrients faster, so aim for regular but moderate applications of compost rather than a single large portion.
Overwintering
In a pot, you best overwinter the yellow monkey flower bright and cool at 5 to 10 degrees, and the root ball should stay lightly moist. In the garden bed it is only conditionally hardy; in sheltered, moist sites with a leaf mulch it survives mild winters. In harsh locations it is worth raising cuttings or young plants every autumn as insurance.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
- Division
Sowing succeeds from February to March on a windowsill; you only need to press the fine seeds down, as they are light germinators. In summer, uncomplicated tip cuttings can be taken, which quickly form roots in moist seed compost. Older clumps you can divide in spring, and so gain several strong new plants at once. With all methods, keep the seed compost constantly moist; the yellow monkey flower likes that from the start.
For your garden
Grow Monkeyflower yourself
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