Sticky Monkey Flower

Mimulus aurantiacus grows up to 1.2 meters-4 feet tall, has deep green sticky leaves 3 to 7 cm long and up to a centimeter broad and flowering stems that grow vertically. The flowers are tubular at the base and about 2 centimeters long with five broad lobes; they occur in a variety of shades from white to red, the most common color being a light orange. They are honey plants pollinated by bees and hummingbirds.

It grows in many climates and will thrive in many types of soil, wet, dry, sandy, or rocky. It even grows in serpentine, a soil that most plants have difficulty thriving in because of its unique mineral composition.

Mimulus aurantiacus is a host plant for the checkerspot butterfly. It is common to see checkerspot butterfly caterpillars on this plant.