Sticky Monkeyflower
Diplacus aurantiacus · Phrymaceae
- Form
- Subshrub
- Height
- 1–4 ft
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May, Jun
- Habitat
- Coastal Sage Scrub · Chaparral
🌿 California native
Quick facts
- Habitat: Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral, road cuts and banks
- Form / size: Small subshrub, 1–4 ft
- Sun: Full sun to part shade · Water: Low
- Blooms: Spring–early summer · Pollinator value: High
Description
A cheerful small shrub with narrow, dark green, sticky-resinous leaves (often curled at the edges) and showy tubular, two-lipped flowers in apricot-orange (sometimes yellow to red). Tucks into rocky banks and openings in scrub and chaparral, flowering brightly in spring.
Wildlife & pollinators
Hummingbirds and native bees work the flowers; it’s a larval host for the common buckeye and checkerspot butterflies.
Habitat & range
Common on slopes, road cuts, and rocky openings throughout cismontane California; very adaptable.
In the garden
A fast, bright, butterfly- and hummingbird-friendly filler for sunny to part-shade dry spots. Low water; cut back after bloom. Short-lived but easy to replace.
Propagation
Easy from seed and softwood cuttings; many garden color forms are cutting-grown.
Where to see it near you
Problems
Short-lived; can look tired by late summer — shear and it often reflushes.
