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If you're walking along the sidewalk of Sequoia Park Zoo on W Street in Eureka, take a close look at a bright orange flower hidden among other native shrubs. This is the Sticky Monkey Flower, Mimulus aurantiacus. From late spring through fall, the cheery little flowers (some say they resemble grinning monkeys) cover long, sticky stems. The leaves are also pretty sticky, but that's because they're covered in glandular resin that helps this drought-tolerant California native conserve moisture.
In nurseries, you can also find mimulus blooming in brilliant shades of red, white, yellow and gold. The flowers attract hummingbirds and numerous butterflies, and are particular food for the caterpillars of the western swallowtail butterfly and the longhorn beetle.
A unique feature of the Sticky Monkey Flower is that the small white protruding stigma in the center of each flower closes tightly when touched, similar to how a Venus Flytrap works. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is pollination: when a human touches the two lipped stigmas, the stigma closes and later reopens. When a pollinator touches it with pollen, the stigma stays closed, signaling the plant to set seeds.
Sticky Monkey Flower is an easy plant to grow. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil. A light application of 4-4-4 natural fertilizer at planting time will keep it thriving. Occasional watering in summer will keep the plant fresh and blooming profusely. This shrub-like perennial typically grows to about 3 feet tall and about the same width.
Sticky Monkey may become woody and have long stems by the end of the season. It's best to leave the plant alone until early spring, then prune it back by about two-thirds. Fresh shoots will sprout from the woody stems. In just a few weeks, the entire plant will be covered in new leaves and ready to flower again.
Terri Kramer is the former site manager for Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has written a horticulture column for the Times-Standard since 1982. She now runs a horticulture consulting firm. She can be reached at 707-834-2661 or terrykramer90@gmail.com.
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