Musky moments

There is a lovely water plant that lives both on the banks of lakes and in the shallows of rivers that is a prolific flowerer. Over the years it came to be affectionately known as ‘monkey musk.’ If you peer into the flowers and half close your eyes the dark red spots that are lightly scattered over the bright yellow flowers take on the appearance of the eyes and nose of a monkey. Added to this the overall shape and you can make out the ears and the face line of a little monkey.

 

Monkey musk, Monkeyflower – Mimulus guttatus – perennial