Monkeyflower is a native, perennial wildflower found throughout Wisconsin, thriving in moist to wet loam along streambanks, in wet meadows, and other sunlit lowlands. Depending on conditions, it can range in height from eight inches to over three feet. Its square stems and opposite, sessile leaves—lance-shaped to oblong and up to three inches long—give the plant a distinctive, angular structure. From midsummer into early fall, it produces solitary, one-inch blossoms in shades of violet to pale blue, each emerging from the leaf axils on slender stalks. The flowers resemble small snapdragons, with a two-lipped corolla and a lower lip marked by yellow guide hairs that attract bumblebees, its primary pollinators. Monkeyflower spreads modestly through rhizomes and also reproduces by seed, contributing to the diversity and stability of wetland plant communities. Its presence supports pollinator populations and helps anchor soil in erosion-prone areas, making it a valuable species for ecological restoration and native landscaping. (July)