Monardella undulata

Curly leaved monardella

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Curly leaved monardella is a California native shrub found in coastal and montane habitats, strongly scented and growing up to 2.5 meters in diameter. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces lavender to rose-purple flowers with straw-colored bracts in dense terminal clusters 10 to 30 millimeters wide. Growing with erect or tufted stems 10 to 100 centimeters tall that are sparsely hairy to densely white-tomentose, it forms mounded or branching clusters. Its distinctive leaves are 10 to 40 millimeters long, linear to obovate, with wavy margins and a fleshy texture that appears green to glaucous. The plant's clusters of flowers are subtended by papery bracts that range from straw-colored to purple, giving it a distinctive and aromatic character.

California counties: Marin, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Ventura, Sonoma, San Bernardino

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