What is a Monkey Flower?
A monkey flower is a plant in the genus Mimulus. These plants are named for their showy flowers, which resemble the heads of grinning monkeys, and they are native to North America, Europe, and Asia. In addition to being found readily in the wild in many regions of the world, monkey flowers are also cultivated as ornamental plants by gardeners. Many garden supply stores carry monkey flowers, and they can also be ordered directly through nurseries. Plants in this genus are quite diverse. Some monkey flower plants have simple oval leaves, while others have toothed leaves. The plants may be hairy and sticky, smooth, or thorny, and the flowers may be two-lipped with distinctive dots, or multi-petaled. Depending on the species, a monkey flower may grow like a shrub, with a sprawling growth habit which causes to to resemble a thick carpet, or it may grow as an upright plant. In some climates, monkey flowers are perennials, returning year after year and growing more vigorous in the process. Ot
