Practical
Plants

Mimulus lewisii

Great Purple Monkey Flower

a perennial member of the Mimulus genus in the family Scrophulariaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Mimulus
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.6 m
Spread
0.45 m
Fertility
Insects
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves and stems - raw or cooked[2].

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Poultice[2].

Product or use
Poultice

Environment

Range
Western N. America - Alaska to Mexico.
Habitat
Moist areas, stream edges and wet slopes[2]. In and along streams from moderate to high elevations[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
aquatic
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only lightly cover the seed[4]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient seed it can also be sown in situ in late spring after the last expected frosts[4]. Division in spring[4]. Very easy, large divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of softwood, 5cm long in spring or summer[4].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers rather moist places such as damp borders, margins of streams and boggy spots[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Thrives in full sun so long as the soil does not dry out[4], otherwise it is best grown in partial shade[3]. This species tolerates slightly drier conditions than M. guttatus, it prefers a rich soil in light woodland[4]. Hardy to at least -20°c[3]. Another report says that plants are only hardy in the milder parts of Britain[5]. There is some confusion over the naming of this plant, the entry on edibility may refer to M. luteus, which is closely related to this species.

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩1↩2

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  5. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩

  6. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

    ↩

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