Erythranthe cardinalis

Scarlet monkeyflower

Family: Phrymaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Scarlet monkeyflower is a California native perennial found in the Central Coast, Western Sierra Nevada, and Panamint Range Mountains in moist to wet stream and seepage areas at elevations below 2,400 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces vibrant orange to red flowers with a long tubular shape, the upper lip arched forward and lower lip reflexed. Growing 25 to 80 centimeters tall with generally decumbent to ascending hairy stems, it spreads through underground rhizomes. Its leaves are 20 to 80 millimeters long, oblong to obovate with distinctive palmately arranged 3 to 5 veins, clasping the stem in the upper portions. The fruit develops 16 to 18 millimeters long, continuing the plant's dramatic botanical display.

Habitat: Moist to wet places along streams, seepage areas

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: < 2400 m

Bioregions: CA-FP, W&ampI, DMtns (Panamint Range)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.