Flower profile
Seep monkeyflower
Erythranthe guttata
Seep monkeyflower (Erythranthe guttata) is a flowering plant in the Phrymaceae family, blooming mostly April–July across the U.S.
Seep monkeyflower is a flowering plant. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Alaska, California
Quick look
Erythranthe guttata, with the common names seep monkeyflower and common yellow monkeyflower, is a yellow bee-pollinated annual or perennial flowering plant. It was formerly known as Mimulus guttatus.
- It belongs to the Phrymaceae family. iNaturalist
- NatureServe lists it as native to California and Alaska. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 9,375 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #98 among the 178 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 458 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #93 among the 121 flowers on our Alaska list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Native | April–June | 9,375 |
| Alaska | Native | few records (46) | 458 |
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)
- Alaska
- No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MI (S1), ND (S1), NE (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
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)) 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 has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.
Names, range and relatives
Other Erythranthe on Bloomipedia (1): Lewis' monkeyflower.
More from the Phrymaceae family (5 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Orange bush monkeyflower, Allegheny monkeyflower, Red bush monkeyflower, Dwarf purple monkeyflower.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
- iNaturalist, Erythranthe guttata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Erythranthe guttata (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).
- Alaska: Alaska prohibited and restricted noxious weeds (11 AAC 34.020).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Erythranthe guttata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Anne Parsons via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.