Mimulus (lewisii)

Tara Luna USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana 59936 (406) 888-7835 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/azpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Scrophulariaceae
Family Common Name:	Figwort family
Scientific Name:	Mimulus lewisii Pursh.
Common Name:	Lewis' monkeyflower
Species Code:	MIMLEW
Ecotype:	Subalpine streambank, Granite Park, 2032m elev. Glacier Co., Glacier National Park, MT.
General Distribution:	M. lewisii occurs in from mid-montane to upper elevations in all mountain ranges in the Pacific Northwest. M. lewisii,/i> is a vigorously rhizomatous perennial, which forms dense clumps along streambanks and in wet, boggy ground in the subalpine zone.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	800 ml containers
Time To Grow:	9 Months
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container seedling<br> Height: 6 cm<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: Firm plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are collected in early fall when capsules turn brown and begin to dehisce. the tiny, dust like seeds are light tan at maturity. Capsules are collected in paper bags and kept in a well ventilated drying shed prior to cleaning. Capsules of some Mimulusspecies do not open fully unless they are soaked in water.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds are cleaned with a hammermill screened. Seed longevity is unknown. Seed dormancy is classified as physiological dormancy. Seeds/Kg: 45,400,000/kg % Purity: 100% % Germination: N/A
Pre-Planting Treatments:	5 month cold, moist stratification.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Outdoor nursery growing facility. Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seeds are surface sown for the light requirement. Growing medium used is 6:1:1 milled spaghnum peat, perlite, and vermiculite with Osmocote controlled release fertilizer (13N:13P2O5:13K2O; 8 to 9 month release rate at 21C) and Micromax fertilizer (12%S, 0.1%B, 0.5%Cu, 12%Fe, 2.5%Mn, 0.05%Mo, 1%Zn) at the rate of 2 grams of Osmocote and 1.0 gram of Micromax per 800 ml conetainer. Containers are filled and sown in late fall and irrigated thoroughly prior to winter stratification. Seedlings are irrigated with Rainbird automatic irrigation system in early morning until containers are thoroughly leached. Average growing season of nursery is from late April after snowmelt until October 15th.
Establishment Phase:	Seedlings germinate in spring under fluctuating outdoor temperatures and are grown under full sun exposure. Germination was very uniform. Once established and thinned after emergence, the seedlings produce rapid shoot and root development.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are fertilized with 13-13-13 liquid NPK at 100 ppm and given frequent irrigation. Plants were root tight 4 weeks following germination. Some individuals flowered 8 weeks after germination.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	8 weeks
Hardening Phase:	Plants are fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK at 100 ppm in fall, pots are leached with water, and irrigation frequency is gradually reduced in September and October. One final irrigation is applied before covering for the winter.
Length of Hardening Phase:	4 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Total Time to Harvest: 9 months Harvest Date: July and August Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam and snow cover.
Length of Storage:	5 months
Other Comments:	Vegetative Propagation: Divisions Vegetative Propagation Method: Divisions of established nursery stock or herbaceous stem cuttings. Stem cuttings can be treated with 1,000 ppm IBA rooting hormone and rooted under mist and bottom heat at 21C.
References:	Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press, 7th printing, 1990. Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished. Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition, Deno, Norman, publ. 1993. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species, Hassell, Wendel, National Park Service and National Resources Conservation Service, April 1996. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, Baskin and Baskin, Academic Press, 1998.

Citation:

Luna, Tara; Evans, Jeff; Wick, Dale; Hosokawa, Joy. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Mimulus lewisii Pursh. plants 800 ml containers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. 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.