Monardella villosa
Coyote-mint
(c) Alexander Wentworth, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Lamiaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Monardella villosa (Coyote-mint) is a native California subshrub in the Lamiaceae family, recognized by subshrub habit and multiple flower clusters distinctive.
Coyote-mint is a California native shrub found in chaparral and coastal habitats at elevations ranging from low to mid-elevation areas. Flowering from May to September, this aromatic plant produces white to purple flowers in dense clusters 10 to 40 millimeters wide, with distinctive reflexed bracts. Growing with matted to erect stems 15 to 45 centimeters tall, it features soft, wavy hairs and a rhizomatous growth habit. Its leaves are small, 10 to 30 millimeters long, with lanceolate to ovate shapes, often serrated or crenate, and covered in glandular hairs. The plant's soft, spreading hairs and aromatic leaves make it a characteristic member of California's Mediterranean chaparral communities.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 25 sympatric species; subshrub habit and multiple flower clusters distinctive
Habitat and range
California counties: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, San Mateo, Humboldt, Shasta, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Alameda, Siskiyou, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Placer, Trinity, Santa Barbara, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Fresno, Kings, Sonoma, Contra Costa, Napa, Solano, Tuolumne, Merced, Tehama, Lassen, Tulare, El Dorado, Yolo, Sacramento, Plumas
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 villosa native to California?
Yes. Monardella villosa is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Monardella villosa grow?
Monardella villosa occurs in Lake, Marin, Mendocino, San Mateo, Humboldt, Shasta, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and other counties.
What plant family does Monardella villosa belong to?
Monardella villosa 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.