Description of Mimulus cardinalis (Scarlet Monkey Flower)

Mimulus cardinalis is scarlet monkey flower, a moisture-loving plant with bright tubular blooms. It’s a good pick for bog edges where soil stays damp and you want summer colour at a low to mid height.

Appearance

It makes leafy stems with soft green leaves, then produces scarlet flowers that suit pollinators. Height is often 40 to 70cm depending on conditions and how wet it stays.

Care Guide

Keep it moist and it flowers longer. If it dries, flowering drops quickly.

• Sun: Sun to part shade. Morning sun with afternoon shade suits many UK gardens.
• Soil: Moist, fertile soil with organic matter.
• Water: Keep consistently damp through summer.
• Deadheading: Remove spent blooms to keep new flowers coming.
• Overwintering: In colder spots, a mulch helps the crown.

It can seed around lightly in damp ground, which is useful for filling gaps.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This suits bog gardens where you have steady moisture but not deep water over the crown. It works well mid-bed, with lower ground covers in front.

It also does well in pots sunk into the bog, which makes it easy to control and to protect if winter is rough.

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