Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens)
Monkey Flower mostly attracts bumblebees, as they are one of the few insects that are strong enough to get to the nectar (illinoiswildflowers.info). It is the host plant to the Common Buckeye, Baltimore Checkerspot, and 3 other butterflies and moths in this area (nwf.org). I was unable to find out much more about this plants animal interactions, which was surprising because it does not seem to be a terribly rare plant.
Photo credit: Matt Levin (1) John Blair (2-3)
Monkey Flower mostly attracts bumblebees, as they are one of the few insects that are strong enough to get to the nectar (illinoiswildflowers.info). It is the host plant to the Common Buckeye, Baltimore Checkerspot, and 3 other butterflies and moths in this area (nwf.org). I was unable to find out much more about this plants animal interactions, which was surprising because it does not seem to be a terribly rare plant.
Photo credit: Matt Levin (1) John Blair (2-3)
Monkey Flower mostly attracts bumblebees, as they are one of the few insects that are strong enough to get to the nectar (illinoiswildflowers.info). It is the host plant to the Common Buckeye, Baltimore Checkerspot, and 3 other butterflies and moths in this area (nwf.org). I was unable to find out much more about this plants animal interactions, which was surprising because it does not seem to be a terribly rare plant.
Photo credit: Matt Levin (1) John Blair (2-3)
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full-Partial
Soil Moisture: Wet-Medium/wet
Height: 1-3 feet
Plant Spacing: 1-2 feet
Bloom Time: June-September
Bloom Color: Pale blue-violet
Advantages: Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant
Host Plant: Common Buckeye, Baltimore Checkerspot, and 3 other species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)
