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:

Glase, Terry

Mimulus lewisii

Mimulus lewisii Pursh

Purple Monkeyflower, Great Purple Monkeyflower, Lewis Monkeyflower, Lewis's Monkeyflower

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: mile2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N)

Broadly lance-shaped, light-green leaves line the 10-30 in. stems of this perennial. Its showy, penstemon-like flowers are usually rose-pink, marked with maroon blotches and dark lines in the throat. The bilaterally symmetrical flowers bloom in profusion near the top of this leafy, several-stemmed plant.

This is among the most handsome of mountain wildflowers, its deep pink to red flowers probably attracting hummingbirds during their summer stay in the mountains.

From the Image Gallery

15 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 30 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AK , CA , CO , ID , MT , NV , OR , UT , WA , WY
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: C. CA Sierras to AK, e. to CO & MT
Native Habitat: Stream banks, moist meadows & seeps from 4000-10,000 ft.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Wet
Soil Description: Moist or wet soils.

Propagation

Description: Easily increased through root divisions of the ever-enlarging clumps. Seeds may also be used.
Seed Treatment: No treatment is necessary.
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							FACW

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). 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:

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-20
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back