Erythranthe utahensis
Utah monkeyflower
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jim Morefield · licence
Family: Phrymaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1
Erythranthe utahensis (Utah monkeyflower) is a native California perennial in the Phrymaceae family, recognized by racemose inflorescence and leaf arrangement distinctive.
Utah monkeyflower is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native perennial found in wet mountain habitats including springs, seeps, meadows, and streams at elevations of 1,400 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces bright yellow flowers in racemes with 6 to 16 blooms, each with an open corolla and distinctive tube-throat. Growing 20 to 50 centimeters tall with rhizomatous roots, it spreads with glabrous to glandular-hairy stems. Its leaves are distinctive, with ovate to round blades 20 to 40 millimeters long, positioned largest at mid-stem and becoming reduced toward the stem tips, with crenate edges and bases ranging from truncate to cuneate. The fruit is small, measuring 5 to 7 millimeters in length, with an asymmetrically swollen calyx featuring unequal lobes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; racemose inflorescence and leaf arrangement distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Wet places, springs, seeps, meadows, streams, marshy areas
Elevation: 1400-2500 m
Outside California: to Colorado
Bloom period
Erythranthe utahensis blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.1
Frequently asked questions
Is Erythranthe utahensis native to California?
Yes. Erythranthe utahensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Erythranthe utahensis bloom?
Erythranthe utahensis blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Erythranthe utahensis belong to?
Erythranthe utahensis is in the Phrymaceae family, genus Erythranthe.
Is Erythranthe utahensis rare or endangered?
Erythranthe utahensis carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.1, state rank S1.
What habitat does Erythranthe utahensis grow in?
Erythranthe utahensis grows in Common. Wet places, springs, seeps, meadows, streams, marshy areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Erythranthe acutidens — Kings river monkeyflower
- Erythranthe alsinoides — Chickweed monkeyflower
- Erythranthe androsacea — Rock-jasmine monkeyflower
- Erythranthe angulosa — sweet-stem monkeyflower
- Erythranthe arenaria — Sand-loving monkeyflower
- Erythranthe arenicola — Beach monkeyflower
- Mimetanthe pilosa
- Mimetanthe sp. — Downy mimetanthe
- Mimulus ringens — Allegheny monkeyflower
- Mimulus sp. — Monkeyflower
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.