#monardella

[dat-aster]

Late July in the herb garden

[ruthbancroftgarden]

Monardella linoides

Like their relatives in the genus Salvia, the species of Monardella have aromatic foliage and attractive clusters of flowers. This one is Monardella linoides, found in southern California as well as in adjacent Nevada, Arizona, and Baja California. The foliage is so strongly scented that the slightest brush against it brings on a delightful fragrance. And the light purple flower heads are pollinator attractors as well.

-Brian

[cainhowlett]

Layers

[wumbologyandecology]

Sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) foraging nectar from mountain coyote mint (Monardella odoratissima) on South Baldy Mt, New Mexico

[ruthbancroftgarden]

Monardella villosa

This mint relative is found in California's Coast Ranges and in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Like many plants in the Mint Family, it has fragrant leaves, and its heads of lavender-purple flowers are popular with the bees. It is known by the common name of coyote mint.

-Brian

[cainhowlett]

The final layout before carving

[ruthbancroftgarden]

Monardella linoides

The genus Monardella contains about 40 species native to western North America, and it belongs to the Lamiaceae, or Mint Family. Monardella linoides is a shrubby perennial that grows in the mountains of southern California. Its leaves are very aromatic, and it produces many clusters of dainty lavender-pink flowers, as can be seen in the photos.

-Brian

[ruthbancroftgarden]

Monardella macrantha ‘Marian Sampson’

Monardella is a genus in the Mint Family (Lamiaceae), and this species can be found from Monterey County in central California southward to Baja California. Its showy red tubular flowers are quite large for the size of the plant, and “macrantha” appropriately means “large flowers”.

-Brian