Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Cressler, Alan

Erythranthe cardinalis

Erythranthe cardinalis (Douglas ex Benth.) Spach

Scarlet Monkeyflower, Crimson Monkeyflower, Scarlet Monkey-flower

Phrymaceae (Lopseed Family)

Synonym(s): Mimulus cardinalis, Mimulus cardinalis, Mimulus cardinalis var. exsul, Mimulus cardinalis var. griseus, Mimulus cardinalis var. rigens

USDA Symbol: ERCA23

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

"Perennials, rhizomatous. Stems usually erect to ascending, freely branched, 25-75 cm, more or less glandular-villous or glabrate." (Webref: 38).

"Yellow-flowered populations of Erythranthe cardinalis occur on Cedros Island, Baja California, and in the Siskiyou Mountains of Oregon (R. K. Vickery 1992). They have been documented also on Santa Cruz Island, California.

Populations of Erythranthe cardinalis in King and Yakima counties, Washington, are introduced and naturalized." (Webref: 38).

From the Image Gallery

14 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Shape: Obovate , Ovate
Leaf Venation: Palmate
Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous , Glandular , Villose
Leaf Margin: Dentate , Double-serrate
Leaf Apex: Acuminate , Acute
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 30 inches tall.
Leaf: "Leaves usually cauline; petiole 0 mm; blade palmately veined, elliptic-ovate to ovate or obovate, 20-90(-110) x 10-38(-60) mm, thick, base acuminate, subclasping, margins irregularly serrate to dentate, apex acute, surfaces more or less glandular-villous to glabrate. Fruiting calyces cylindric to cylindric-campanulate, not inflated, 17-28(-30) mm, hispid-hirsute to hirsute, lobes 4-7 mm, ovate to ovate-deltate, apex attenuate-acute." (Webref: 38).
Flower: "Flowers herkogamous, 2-12, axillary at leafy medial to distal nodes. Fruiting pedicels 30-90(-120) mm. Corollas scarlet to orange-red, rarely yellow, throat yellowish, red-striped, palate red, yellow-villous, not spotted or striped, bilaterally symmetric, strongly bilabiate; tube-throat funnelform, (15-)20-30 mm, exserted beyond calyx margin; throat open. Styles glabrous. Anthers exserted, white-villous, thecae spreading." (Webref: 38).
Fruit: "Capsules included, 10-16 mm." (Webref: 38).

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Orange
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Bloom Notes: "Phenology: Flowering May-Sep."� (Webref: 38).

Distribution

USA: CA , NV , OR , WA
Native Distribution: California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Baja California, Mexico.
Native Habitat: "Habitat: Moist to wet places along streams, lakes, creek beds, canyon, arroyo, and ravine bottoms, around springs and seepage areas, flood plains, moist clearings and woods edges. Elevation: (5-)50-2300(-2800) m." (Webref: 38).

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Moist soils.
Conditions Comments: Older stems need to be trimmed back periodically or the growth becomes floppy and unsightly. This plant reseeds freely.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Hummingbirds

Propagation

Description: Easily increased through root divisions of the ever-enlarging clumps. Seeds may also be used.
Seed Treatment: Seeds germinate without pretreatment.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:			FACW							FACW

This information is derived from: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (2023). 2022 National Wetland Plant List, version 3.6. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS. https://wetland-plants.usace.army.mil/. Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Erythranthe cardinalis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Erythranthe cardinalis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Erythranthe cardinalis

Metadata

Record Modified: 2026-05-19
Research By: Joseph A. Marcus

Go back