Diplacus puniceus

Common Names

Red Bush Monkeyflower, Mission Diplacus, San Diego Monkey Flower, Red Monkey Flower, Sticky Monkeyflower

Summary

Red Bush Monkeyflower is a glabrous evergreen shrub native to coastal Southern California and northern Baja California, forming a rounded mound about 2 ft tall and 3 ft wide with dark green, hairless leaves that are narrowly oblanceolate to linear; it bears bright red to orange-red tubular flowers whose two lips resemble a monkey face and emit a fragrance, blooming near the coast anytime, with peak in summer.

It prefers full sun along the coast or partial shade inland in well-drained soils, is drought-tolerant once established, and hardy in USDA zones 9a–11, while being deer resistant and attracting hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies; propagation is by dividing the rootball or herbaceous stem cuttings, or by seed, with cuttings often providing the quickest results; it suits native landscapes, borders, erosion control, containers, and drought-tolerant garden settings.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

1-6 feet

Spread

2-5 ft

Hardiness Zones

Zones 9a-11

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun to partial shade; coast full sun, inland partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained sandy soil (pH 6–8)

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

6.0-7.5, Acidic to neutral

Bloom Color

Red

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Division, Tissue culture

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds.