Monardella breweri
Brewer's monardella
(c) Zack Abbey, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Zack Abbey · licence
Family: Lamiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Monardella breweri (Brewer's monardella) is a native California herb in the Lamiaceae family, recognized by parent species with wide morphological variation.
Brewer's monardella is a California native annual herb found in dry, open areas at mid-elevations. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces rose to purple flowers in compact clusters 5 to 30 millimeters wide, with distinctive glandular-tipped upper corolla lobes. Growing with erect, branched stems 9 to 65 centimeters tall that are covered in short gray hairs, it has a delicate and slightly fuzzy appearance. Its leaves are lance-shaped, 15 to 60 millimeters long, with short hairs and slender petioles. The plant's flower clusters are adorned with green to papery bracts that are narrowly to widely ovate and occasionally have stiff-pointed tips.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 40 sympatric species; parent species with wide morphological variation
Habitat and range
California counties: Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Fresno, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Benito, Tehama, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Nevada, Santa Cruz
How to tell it apart
vs Mentha: Mint has multiple flower clusters spaced along the stem; Monardella has one terminal pom-pom head per stem.; vs Salvia: Sage has flowers spaced along an elongated spike; Monardella's flowers are densely packed into a rounded head.; vs Veronica: Speedwell has flowers in a loose spike and isn't aromatic; Monardella's flowers form a dense head with mint scent.; vs Phacelia: Phacelia's flower clusters uncurl like a fern; Monardella's form a compact, stationary head with a bract collar.; vs Valeriana: Valerian has tiny flowers in branched clusters; Monardella has larger mint flowers in a single terminal head.
Frequently asked questions
Is Monardella breweri native to California?
Yes. Monardella breweri is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Monardella breweri grow?
Monardella breweri occurs in Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Fresno, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Monterey and other counties.
What plant family does Monardella breweri belong to?
Monardella breweri is in the Lamiaceae family, genus Monardella.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.