Native Plant of the Month: Coyote Mint
Coyote mint (Monardella villosa) is a small flowering shrub that grows to be around two feet tall and three feet wide.
Coyote mint’s fluffy flower clusters are made up of many small flowers that range from bright lavender to pink with hairy mint-scented leaves. It blooms from May through August and can be pruned to prolong the bloom, as well as in the fall to encourage new growth.
It is also a great plant for pollinators, and its flowers are a favorite nectar source for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. And it is deer-resistant!
You can find coyote mint growing naturally in in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, woodland, and forest edges. If you grow coyote mint at home, we recommend planting it in full sun to partial shade. No additional watering is needed once it is established, so it is great for drought minded gardens!
Coyote mint pairs well with other drought tolerant natives such as sandmat manzanita (Arctostaphylos pumila), sticky monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus), naked stem buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum), California fuchsia (Epilobium canum), golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), hairy gumplant (Grindelia hirsutula), foothill penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus), California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), black sage (Salvia mellifera), and white sage (Salvia apiana).
Coyote mint and other California native plants are available for sale from our Native Plant Nursery, and are all grown from local wild-collected seed.
By Nursery Director, Deanna Giuliano
