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Desert Mint
Monardella australis
  
About Desert Mint (Monardella australis) 8 Nurseries Carry This Plant Monardella australis is a perennial herb growing in a small tuft and producing long, sometimes erect flowering stems. The pale green or grayish leaves are oval or lance-shaped and often toothed.

The plant is endemic to southern California, in the Greater Los Angeles Area. It is known only from populations in the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains of the eastern Transverse Ranges, and the adjacent San Jacinto Mountains of the Peninsular Ranges. Its habitats include the red fir forest and yellow pine forest on the higher slopes of the ranges.

A great butterfly plant for a rock garden or other small space. Inland, protect from afternoon sun. Both leaves and flowers are fragrant. Distasteful to deer.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
0.1 - 1 ft tall

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Lavender, Purple

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer, Fall

Wildlife Supported
 


 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil

Common uses
Common uses
Bird Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Rocky openings in montane and subalpine forests

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 8.3" - 52.6", Summer Precipitation: 0.22" - 3.65", Coldest Month: 26.3" - 51.6", Hottest Month: 52.4" - 78.8", Humidity: 1.87" - 26.92", Elevation: 918" - 10777"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Southern Monardella


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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