Monardella lanceolata - Mustang Mint

Monardella lanceolata is a low growing herbaceous perennial. The Mustang Mint grows from the chapparal up into the pine forests. Monardella lanceolata seems best placed where plants get shade during the hot part of the day. The Mustang Mint has lavender pink flowers Spring to Fall. I have usually seen Mondardella lanceolata growing on South facing slopes tucked under another shrub or where it gets a little mid-day or afternoon shade from a rock or tree. Mustang Mint is edible but a little hairy for general eating. Nibbling on a leaf is a pleasant distraction from while on a long hike. I like to allow the Mustang Mint to trail over a wall or rock. Monardella lanceolata is a nectar source for a number of butterflies including: Red Admiral, Monarch Butterfly, Swallowtail, Painted Lady, California Dogface, Mournful Duskywing, Northern White Skipper, and the White Checkered Skipper. This plant will be a center of attention in a Butterfly Garden. Monardella lanceolata blooms from Spring through frost.

Other plant pages from the genus Monardella featured on this site:
Monardella odoratissima