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Phrymaceae
Monkey Musk
Erythranthe guttata
Playful faces by the water.
- Family
- Phrymaceae
- Genus
- Erythranthe
- Native to
- western North America
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 15–60 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- moist to wet; streamside conditions
- Water
- high; prefers boggy conditions
- Hardiness
- 3–9
- Lifespan
- perennial; short-lived but self-sows
Did you know
- The flowers have a 'monkey face' pattern of red spots on yellow, inspiring both the common name and the former genus name Mimulus (little mime).
- It has become a model organism in evolutionary genetics — researchers study its rapid adaptation to different environments.
- Introduced to Britain in the 1800s, it escaped gardens and naturalized along streams throughout the British Isles.
- The red spots serve as nectar guides, directing bees to the throat of the flower where pollen and nectar await.
- It can grow with its roots fully submerged in running water, making it one of few flowering plants that thrives in streams.
Color meanings
Yellow
cheerful stream-side humor
Red-Spotted
nature's playful brushstrokes