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Willowy Monardella
Monardella viminea
  
About Willowy Monardella (Monardella viminea) 16 Nurseries Carry This Plant Willowy Monardella (Monardella viminea) is an extremely rare native perennial herb in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family that grows exclusively in San Diego County. It is a federally listed listed rare and endangered species, and it is included in CNPS list 1B.1. Most of the world's willowy mint grows on the eastern side of the Miramar marine base or in nearby canyons. Its habitat consists of ephemeral streams: the bed, the edge, or the bench within a few feet of the bed. This species was formerly classified as a subspecies of Monardella linoides, and some sources still list it that way.

Despite its rarity and protected status, this plant is easy to grow in gardens and it is is often available from nurseries. It has a delightful mint fragrance. The pink to lavender flowers are attractive, and it does well in containers. Monthly irrigation keeps it evergreen and enables it to rebloom at any time of the year.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
0.8 - 1.6 ft tall
2 - 4 ft wide

Dormancy
Dormancy
Summer Semi-Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Lavender, Pink

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Numerous insects including butterflies and bumblebees

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 4 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy, Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 25° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
This plant naturally grows in coarse rocky sand or sandy clay, but it adapts to a wide range of soil conditions.. Soil PH: 6.5 - 7.8

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

Companion Plants
Companion Plants

Maintenance
Maintenance
Can be deadheaded if desired to encourage more flowering

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
In the wild, this plant is found in full sun in or within a few feet of creek beds in coastal sage scrub or chaparral habitats. Seedlings are more likely to start in the stream bed than at the edge or on the bench, but here they are also more likely to be eroded away. Their proximity to streams suggests that they need supplemental water to survive the summer and fall.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 7.9" - 21.2", Summer Precipitation: 0.24" - 1.70", Coldest Month: 39.8" - 54.4", Hottest Month: 70.1" - 77.3", Humidity: 1.33" - 22.64", Elevation: 122" - 5118"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Monardella linoides ssp. viminea


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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