Monardella purpurea
Siskiyou monardella, Siskiyou Monardella
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Lamiaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Monardella purpurea (Siskiyou monardella) is a native California subshrub in the Lamiaceae family, recognized by dark purple shiny stems and leaves are distinctive.
Siskiyou monardella is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, and San Francisco Bay Area on rocky serpentine slopes in chaparral, woodland, and montane forest at elevations of 400 to 1,400 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces rose or purple flowers in compact clusters 15 to 25 millimeters wide, with distinctive dark purple bracts. Growing as an erect, open subshrub 10 to 40 centimeters tall with shiny dark purple stems, it has a striking appearance in its native habitat. Its leathery lance-oblong leaves are 12 to 30 millimeters long, deep purple to green in color, with an entire margin and a glossy surface. The flower clusters feature narrowly lanceolate outer bracts with multicellular cilia, giving the plant a distinctive textured appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 12 sympatric species; dark purple shiny stems and leaves are distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky slopes, generally on serpentine or related bedrock, chaparral, woodland, montane forest
Elevation: 400-1400 m
California counties: Del Norte, Marin, San Mateo, Siskiyou, Monterey, Shasta, Trinity, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Alameda, Tehama, Humboldt
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Monardella purpurea blooms Jun-Jul.
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 purpurea native to California?
Yes. Monardella purpurea is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Monardella purpurea bloom?
Monardella purpurea blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Monardella purpurea grow?
Monardella purpurea occurs in Del Norte, Marin, San Mateo, Siskiyou, Monterey, Shasta, Trinity, Santa Clara and other counties, at elevations of 400-1400 m.
What plant family does Monardella purpurea belong to?
Monardella purpurea is in the Lamiaceae family, genus Monardella.
What habitat does Monardella purpurea grow in?
Monardella purpurea grows in Rocky slopes, generally on serpentine or related bedrock, chaparral, woodland, montane forest.
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.