Characteristics:
Monardella or coyote mint is an attractive, scented perennial with numerous stems arising from 10-50 cm in height. The older stems become somewhat woody below. The leaves have very short petioles and they are arranged opposite on the stem. They are lance-like to elliptical in shape, 1-3.5 cm long and 3-12 mm wide, and have entire margins. The herbage varies from nearly glabrous to covered with numerous gray hairs.
The inflorescence is a tight head of numerous slender, pale red-purple to dirty white flowers. The inflorescence is flat-topped and ranges from 1-4 cm wide. Distinct bracts from 7-15 mm long make up an involucre below the head. The individual corollas measure from 1-2 cm long with subequal lips, 3 narrow lobes making up the lower lip and two lobes the upper lip.
Coyote mint is found in open, rocky places from the plains to medium elevations in the mountains.
Coyote mint is found east of the Cascade summit in Washington and Oregon. It may be found eastward to northern Idaho and Colorado and New Mexico, and south to southern California.
In the Columbia River Gorge it may be found between the elevations of 100'-4500' between Stevenson, WA and Bingen, WA..
