Mimulus ringens Allegheny Monkey Flower

General

A small rhizomatous herbaceous plant that typically grows along streambanks and in wet meadows. The flowers are thought to resemble a monkey’s face when pinched between the fingers. Bees and butterflies are attracted to the flowers.

Plant Description

A dainty, herbaceous plant with angular stems and opposite, serrated leaves that grasp the stalk (petiole is absent). Its flowers are bright lavender.

Height (ft)
1-3'

Soil moisture
Moist to Wet

Soil types
Loamy, Rich Soils

Wetland indicator
OBL

Shade tolerance
Intolerant, Full Sun

Bloom color
Lavender

Bloom period
Summer

Drought tolerance
Low

Salinity tolerance
None

 

Distribution

Occurs throughout the entire eastern United States (excluding Florida), much of the northern United States and southern Canada, and down along the west coast of the United States through California.

Additional information

Brown, Lauren. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York City, 1979. LINK

Fassett, Norman C. A Manual of Aquatic Plants, First Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York and London, 1940. LINK

Garbisch, Edgar W., and McIninch, Suzanne M. Propagation of Wetland Plants: Herbaceous Plants, Shrubs and Trees. Environmental Concern, Inc. 2003. LINK

Harris, James G., and Harris, Melinda Woolf. Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, Second Edition. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, Utah. 2011. LINK

Hitchcock, A.S., and Chase, Agnes. Manual of the Grasses of the United States, Second Edition, Volume I. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1971. LINK

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press) LINK

McKenny, Margaret and Peterson, Roger Tory. A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1968. LINK

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Laurence Newcomb, Mexico. 1977. LINK

USDA, NRCS. 2021. PLANTS Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/, 08/20/2021). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. LINK