Flower profile
Orange bush monkeyflower
Diplacus aurantiacus
Orange bush monkeyflower is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in March–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Diplacus aurantiacus, the sticky monkey-flower or orange bush monkey-flower, is a flowering plant that grows in a subshrub form, native to western North America from southwestern Oregon south through Northern and Central California. It is a member of the lopseed family, Phrymaceae, and was formerly known as Mimulus aurantiacus.
- It belongs to the Phrymaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 34,749 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #5 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Orange bush monkeyflower gift ideas
Handmade orange bush monkeyflower gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Orange bush monkeyflower art print
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Orange bush monkeyflower greeting card
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Orange bush monkeyflower mug
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Orange bush monkeyflower earrings
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Orange bush monkeyflower embroidery pattern
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Orange bush monkeyflower sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in March–July.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records orange bush monkeyflower in 2 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Oregon.
California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile DIAU.
- iNaturalist, Diplacus aurantiacus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Diplacus aurantiacus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Diplacus aurantiacus (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: avocat via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.