Mountain coyote mint facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mountain coyote mint |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Monardella
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| Species: |
odoratissima
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Monardella odoratissima is a cool plant known by many names, like mountain coyote mint or mountain beebalm. It's a type of perennial flowering plant, which means it lives for more than two years. You can find it growing in mountain forests and areas with sagebrush. This plant is part of the mint family, and just like other mints, it has a strong, fresh, minty smell.
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Where It Grows
Monardella odoratissima loves to grow in mountain forests. You can find it at heights from about 600 meters (around 2,000 feet) up to 3,100 meters (about 10,000 feet) above sea level.
Locations in North America
This plant is common in many mountain ranges in Northern California. These include the Klamath Mountains, the North California Coast Ranges, and the Sierra Nevada. It also grows in the Cascade Range, the Modoc Plateau, and the White Mountains. Outside of California, you can find it as far north as Washington. It also grows east into Utah and western Colorado.
What It Looks Like
Monardella odoratissima is an herb that can grow straight up or spread out. It can be a bit woody at its base.
Size and Appearance
This plant usually grows from about 30 centimeters (1 foot) to 1 meter (3 feet) tall. It can also spread out just as wide. Its color can be a smooth dark green or a hairy dark grey-green. Sometimes, it's somewhere in between these colors. The plant often has tiny glands that release a strong minty smell when you touch it.
Leaves
The leaves of this plant can be shaped like a spear (lance-shaped) or more oval (ovate). Their edges are smooth, and they can grow up to 4.5 centimeters (about 1.7 inches) long.
Flowers
The flowers of Monardella odoratissima come in different colors. They can be white, pale pink, or even a light bluish-purple.
Flower Structure
The flowers grow in a cluster called an inflorescence, which looks like a head. This head can be from 10 to 25 millimeters (about 0.4 to 1 inch) wide. It has outer bracts that look like small leaves. Inside, there are other bracts that form a cup around the many small flowers. These bracts can be hairy or smooth. Sometimes, they have a pretty rose or purplish color.
Inside these bracts is the calyx, which is hairy and has five small parts called lobes. The corolla is shaped like a tube and has two "lips." The upper lip stands up and has two lobes. The lower lip curves down and has three lobes. Each flower has four stamens and a style with two uneven lobes.
Fruits
Like most plants in the mint family, the fruits of Monardella odoratissima are small. They are made of four smooth, dark brown to black nutlets.
Growing This Plant
Monardella odoratissima is quite easy to grow in a garden. Even though it's in the mint family, most Monardella plants don't spread by underground runners like some other mints. However, you can still easily grow new plants from cuttings.
Pollination
These plants are very attractive to butterflies. Butterflies are their main helpers for pollinating the flowers.
Care Tips
Monardella odoratissima can grow well in full sun or in partial shade. You can trim it lightly in late fall or early winter. This helps the plant grow bushier, as it can sometimes spread out a lot. The flowers bloom a lot from April through August. Because they produce so many flowers, they look best when you remove the faded blooms.
