Mimulus

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Mimulus (lat. Mimulus) - a flowering hygrophilous plant from the Norichnikov family. The second name is lipstick. The name of this plant comes from mimus - this Latin word is translated as "jester" or "comedian": such an interesting name is due to both a very unusual variegated color, and the very shape of the flowers, somewhat reminiscent of elongated faces (by the way, for the last feature, mimulus is called also a monkey flower).

Description

Mimulus is a semi-shrub or herbaceous plant with a height of twenty to seventy centimeters. And the flowers of the mimulus boast an incredibly spectacular variegated spotted color.

Where grows

Mimulus can be found almost everywhere (with the exception of Europe) in regions with a temperate climate. And Chile is considered to be the homeland of the yellow mimulus.

Varieties

The most common types of mimulus include:

Mimulus is speckled. This perennial is most often grown as an annual. Its height reaches eighty centimeters, and the diameter of yellow flowers approaches two centimeters. In the throat of the corollas near the flowers, you can often see small dark red dots, and sometimes the corollas are also covered with small red spots. The flowering of this plant usually occurs in June-July.

Mimulus purple. It boasts highly branching stems, the height of which can reach forty centimeters. For the leaf blades of this perennial, jagged edges and an ovoid shape are characteristic, in addition, veins are always very clearly visible on them. Flowers of bright red color fold into bizarre inflorescences located in the leaf axils, and this variety of mimulus blooms from June to September.

Mimulus opened. It is distinguished from all other varieties by graceful branchy stems that can grow up to sixty centimeters in height. With its small pale lilac flowers, the open mimulus usually pleases from June to August.

Mimulus primrose. This plant is equipped with a huge number of shoots and either ovoid or oblong leaf blades. And the yellow flowers of such a mimulus are connected to the stems with the help of rather long pedicels. This mimulus usually begins to bloom in June, and the end of its flowering invariably falls on September.

Usage

Mimulus is actively cultivated as a ground cover plant and is widely used to decorate water bodies. Often it can be seen in bright flower beds, in rock gardens, as well as in container gardening. And for rocky gardens, mainly low-growing varieties and types of this beautiful plant are used.

Growing and caring

Mimulus will grow equally well in well-lit areas and in partial shade. Moreover, it is advisable to grow this plant on humus-rich, sufficiently fertile and loose soils.

Mimulus needs intensive watering - this handsome man is very loyal even to highly moistened or swampy areas.

In order for young bushes to please with good tillering, they need to be pinched from time to time. And it is quite possible to preserve perennial plants in the winter and at home - for this it is important to have time to transplant mimulus into pots before the first autumn frosts break out.

Mimulus reproduces mainly by seeds - they are sown on seedlings closer to the beginning of April. And the plant is transferred to permanent places approximately in early June.

As for gluttonous pests and destructive ailments, the beautiful mimulus is practically not damaged by them.