Diplacus grandiflorus

Identification

Description

A very showy California native sub-shrub with flowers that are the color of butter on a plant that somehow resembles an azalea. This monkey flower is commonly found in openings, south and west facing road cuts in the areas between the Oak Woodland and the Conifer forest in the Central Coast Ranges and the West-Central Sierra's. We've seen this form of monkey flower in the Big Sur area, growing in granite under Quercus chrysolepis and Lithocarpus densiflorus, and above Oroville in decomposed granite under Quercus wislizenii. Azalea- Flowered Monkey Flower normally grows on granitic soils, with hybrids occurring with the other native species as it moves into other soil types(notably in northern San Luis Obispo County). Denver Botanic Garden has this in a sheltered rock location that fills with snow first. It has tolerated -30F in this spot. I've used it regularly in areas that have a 2 foot(.6 meter) wide flower bed next to a lawn. The plant performs best where it has excellent drainage and near garden conditions. It does not like reflected sunlight, nor much shade, but 8 hours of sun is great, high filtered shade is great. On most sites it will live for 10-20 years with no bugs, or herbivore problems. Common associated plants are such plants as Brickellias, Penstemons, Eriogonums, and Eriophyllum lanatum(and grandiflorum). If you're in a deer area you'll need to not water in the summer (after the first summer) so the plant can go semi-deciduous and Bambi will not eat, the rest of the year you can enjoy an evergreen plant covered with yellow flowers and visited by a few hummingbirds. (Mimulus aurantiacus, Mimulus bifidus, Diplacus glutinosus var. grandiflorus, Diplacus leptanthus, Diplacus longiflorus var. grandiflorus, Diplacus fasciculatus) Click here for more about Monkeys in California

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