Monardella (odoratissima)

Lee Riley Horticulturist USDA FS - Dorena Genetic Resource Center 34963 Shoreview Road Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424 541-915-7324 541-767-5709 (fax) lee.riley@usda.gov

---

Family Scientific Name:	Lamiaceae
Family Common Name:	Mint
Scientific Name:	Monardella odoratissima
Common Name:	Mountain Monardella
Species Code:	MOOD
Ecotype:	Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Oregon
General Distribution:	M. odoratissima grows in montane forests and amongst sagebrush scrub above 600 to 3000 m (2000 to 10,000ft) in Canada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, and Nevada. Specifically, M. odoratissima is found in Northern California coast ranges, Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevadas, Modoc Plateau, White Mountains, and Inyo Mountains. M. odoratissima will grow in wet or dry, rocky, and sandy soils.
Propagation Goal:	Plants
Propagation Method:	Seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	262 ml (16 in3) container
Time To Grow:	14 weeks
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container seedling Root System: Firm plug in container.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Due to small seed size, the easiest method is to sow seed into trays filled with stabilized medium plugs (Q-plugs). Trays are sealed inside plastic bags and placed into refrigeration at 1 to 3 °C for 14 days. Trays are checked weekly and kept moist throughout the stratification period. If mold is evident, trays should be treated with 1% hydrogen peroxide.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Greenhouse growing facility. Q-plugs are lightly covered with nursery grit. Seedlings are transplanted to target containers approximately 2 weeks following removal from stratification. Growing medium used is 40:20:20:20 peat:composted fir bark:perlite:pumice with Nutricote controlled release fertilizer (18N:6P2O5:8K2O with minors; 180-d release rate at 21C) at the rate of 1.5 gram Nutricote per 262 ml container.
Establishment Phase:	Germination is uniform and quite rapid. It is usually complete in 10 days. Following germination (while still in Q-plugs), plants are fertilized with soluble 12-2-14-6Ca-3Mg at 75 ppm for 1 week.
Length of Establishment Phase:	1 to 2 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Seedlings grow rapidly throughout the active growth phase. During the growing season, fertilization depends on weather. Soluble 20-9-20 NPK, 20-18-18 NPK, or 17-5-24 NPK at a rate of 100 ppm is applied weekly throughout the growing season.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	12 weeks
Hardening Phase:	No dry-down is done to induce dormancy. Seedlings are moved to an outdoor growing area in late September.
Length of Hardening Phase:	2 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Harvest Date: Late October Storage Conditions: Seedlings are usually outplanted in fall. No storage except in outdoor growing area. Plants are well irrigated prior to shipping and shipped in containers.
Other Comments:	M. odoratissima is easy to propagate. The species is a prolific sprouter, but they do not grow from runners. M. odoratissima can be pruned in the late fall to create a bushier plant to help manage the vine habit of this plant in the nursery. M. odoratissima is a beneficial pollinator forb/herb for bees and butterflies.
References:	Dorena Genetic Resource Center Propagation Records, unpublished. iNaturalist Network. nd. Mountain Coyote Mint Monardella odoratissima. URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/62678-Monardella-odoratissima (accessed 8 Oct 2018).

Citation:

Riley, Lee E.; Boudreaux, Tanja. 2018. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Monardella odoratissima Plants 262 ml (16 in3) container; USDA FS - Dorena Genetic Resource Center Cottage Grove, Oregon. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/21). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.