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Red Monardella
Monardella macrantha
  
About Red Monardella (Monardella macrantha) 15 Nurseries Carry This Plant Monardella macrantha is a species of flowering plant in the Laminaceae (Mint) family known by the common name Red Monardella. It is native to coastal mountain ranges of southern California and Baja California, at elevations from 2,000 ft. to over 7,500 ft. It grows in several habitat types, including chaparral, woodland, and forest. It is a perennial herb forming a low tuft of slender stems lined with thick, shiny green leaves up to 3 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a head of several tubular flowers blooming in a cup of red-tinged green leaves up to 4 centimeters wide. The clustered flowers are bright red to yellowish in color, sometimes exceeding 4 centimeters in length with narrow lobed mouths. It has a reputation for being somewhat difficult to get established and short-lived, but the showy flowers and fragrance make it worth the effort.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
0.16 - 1 ft tall
2 ft wide

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Red

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer, Fall

Wildlife Supported
 
The flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and a variety of insects. Species in the Monardella genus are host plant to the Chalcedon Checkerspot, Ruddy Copper, Rural Skipper, Pale Swallowtail, and Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 5 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Anstenoptilia marmarodactyla Image
Anstenoptilia marmarodactylaAnstenoptilia marmarodactyla
*
Pyrausta dapalis Image
Pyrausta dapalisPyrausta dapalis

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Common uses
Common uses
Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Use in the understory of various southern California trees and shrubs including Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.), Pines (Pinus sp.), Oaks (Quercus sp.), along with other perennial herbs such as Goldenrod (Solidago sp.), Yarrow (Achillea millfolium), Mule Ears (Wyethia ovata), and native grasses.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Chaparral and woodlands of southern California mountains

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 13.4" - 40.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.33" - 3.46", Coldest Month: 28.6" - 51.9", Hottest Month: 54.1" - 78.7", Humidity: 2.56" - 27.00", Elevation: 982" - 9280"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Hummingbird Monardella


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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