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July 17, 2003
Monkey Musk
Zahrah Nasir spotted her first Monkey Musk years ago and has remained captivated since
The first Monkey Musk flower I ever saw was in England, when I was just a little tyke. I was about to jump across a narrow stream, when a brilliant mass of glowing yellow and red spotted flowers caught my eye. Needless to say, this momentary loss of concentration resulted in me falling head long into the muddy waters, biting my tongue in the process.
Soaking wet, I walked home clutching a handful of these wonderful flowers as a peace offering for my irrate mother who, as it turned out, was more angry with me for picking a rare wild flower than for getting wet.
After that, spring only really arrived for me when these flowers came into bloom. About five years ago, I made a pilgrimage to visit these flowers, only to be brought to a horrified halt at the sight of a sprawling housing estate, which now covers a once lush land of pastures and trees. All gone for good. The price of progress.
Therefore, you can imagine how pleased I was to discover pots and pots of Monkey Musk in a nursery near Haripur, NWFP, three years ago and, more recently, in two nurseries in the Islamabad area.
Monkey Musk, and I’ve absolutely no idea where the name comes from, is more correctly called ‘Mimulus’ and is a member of the ‘Scrophulariaceae’ family of plants. I believe that it is listed as originating in the Andean mountains of Chile but we do have two indigenous varieties of Mimulus here in Pakistan.
These are ‘Mimulus gracilis’ and ‘Mimulus strictus’ and whilst I cannot locate a description of Mimulus gracilis, Mimulus strictus, which is only supposed to grow at altitudes less than 1,500m is to be found in the Murree Hills.
It is a spring flower, a little to tall and leggy to find a place in a flower border unless one is creating a wild effect. The flowers are quite small compared to cultivated varieties, and are a rather delicate shade of white with spotted, yellow throats. It is also found in Swat, Mansera, Kohat and the Peshawar area in damp places. Outside Pakistan it grows in Nepal, India and Tropical Africa.
However, for the garden, cultivated varieties of Mimulus are an extremely attractive plant in a dazzling range of colours.
They are quite simple to grow from seed which can be found at some seed suppliers. Seed should be sown in trays or pots of quality compost. Sprinkle the tiny seed on the top of already moist compost then sift a tiny amount of more compost over the seed. They must have only a light covering of compost or they will not germinate. After sowing, give a little more water to settle the seeds in place and keep the compost moist, but not wet, as the seeds germinate and grow.
They do best in a partially shaded location, for example sun only in the morning or only after 3 o’clock in the afternoon. In Karachi sow the seed during September or October. Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar and other adjacent areas, seed should be sown in early spring.
The plants, mostly not more than 6-8 inches tall, though there are exceptions, are great in a mixed border, massed on their own or in plant pots.
The plants which can be purchased from nurseries are sold as annuals but many of them are actually perennials in the correct circumstances. Some of the best varieties are as follows:
‘Viva’ - flowers in seven weeks from sowing, has brilliant yellow flowers with large red blotches. This is a half hardy annual.
‘Magic Mix’ - Also flowers in seven weeks from seed and the variety which many nurseries are selling, comes in a wide range of colours including yellow, pink, red, orange, white and bi-colours. This is also described as a half hardy annual but it is perennial up in Nathia Gali and also in Bhurban as long as it gets shade and water.
‘Cardinalis’ - The Scarlet Monkey Musk is a true perennial and in a different class altogether. It can reach an astonishing 5ft in height, is rather hairy and the flowers glow like rubies.
‘Hybridus Tigrinus’ - another perennial in various shades of yellow and copper reaches a height of 1 ft - 1-1/2 ft.
‘Andean Nymph’ - a half hardy annual which flowers in eight weeks from sowing, is a delightful, small plant, 6 inches high at the most, with masses and masses of fairy pink and white flowers over a long period.
‘Luteus’ - the Monkey Musk of my childhood, is a perennial plant with large, yellow and red blotched flowers which, as I illustrated at the beginning, are a sight to stop you in your stride!
All of the above, with the exception of the tall growing ‘Cardinalis’, mix in well with pansies, petunias, candytuft and other spring flowers. They also look quite delightful as ‘spot’ plants in amongst ornamental non-flowering plants and ferns.
If planted under the shade of shrubs they can add interest and colour for quite a long time depending on your local climatic conditions.
If you keep ‘dead-heading’ them, the term sounds rather brutal but merely means removing faded flowers before they start forming seed, they will continue to flower for a longer period. It is a good idea though to select particularly attractive flowers and allow them to make seed to ensure that you have a ready supply for future use.
Finally, if anyone out there knows the origin of the name ‘Monkey Musk’ — I’d love to know.
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