Scarlet Monkey Flower (Mimulus cardinalis) is a creeping, herbaceous, evergreen perennial native to western North America. Known for its striking scarlet red flowers, this species thrives in moist, streamside habitats, attracting pollinators with its distinctively colored blooms. Fun fact: due to the odd shape of the flowers, pollen is deposited on hummingbirds’ heads when they feed on the nectar, which then pollinates the next monkey flower the bird visits.

I purchased one of these at the suggestion of a worker at Loen Nursery in Oregon. When I asked if they had any salvia glutinosa (which I still haven’t found), she suggested this pretty plant as an alternative. I later found out that Scarlet Monkey Flower is not quite as drought-tolerant as salvia – but it is an unusual native, so I’m happy to have it. I placed it in a less-sunny spot that gets good moisture during summer, so we will see how it performs.