1. A promising cross between m. biffidus and m. flemingii was made some years ago. The progeny were very intermediate between the two varieties. These plants were too large, and the flowers too small (flowers were on little 1 inch stems like m. flemingii has). Also, the plants lived as annuals (that is they died at the end of the summer). An F2 selfing of these hybrids produced some interesting variations of color and flower form. My favorite quality of this line was the flat, very ovate (almost diamond shaped) dark green leaves. Height 2 feet tall. However, much work would need to be done to develope the desired qualities in this line. I may try this line again using a different, more robust m. biffidus parent.
2. A remarkable large ruffled mimulus was produced by a different crossing. Years ago Theodore Payne Foundation sold mixed seeds collected from Verity hybrid mimulus. These seeds were fun to grow because, being open pollenated from mixed hybrids (which also had mixed parentage) results were unpredictable. In particular I grew a near white, very ruffled flower form plant from this seed. The flower was actually very small, only about a half an inch across. When I crossed this with a m. longiflorus I had, it only produced a few seeds, but one of those grew into perhaps the most remarkable mimulus plant I have ever seen. Flowers were more than two inches across, and so ruffled that it hardly resembled a mimulus at all. Flower color was a remarkable light brown. Height 1 foot tall. Unfortunately, the flowers were completely sterile and the plant did not survive the year. It died suddenly before I could take any cuttings. I also lost the ivory flowered parent, and was not able to recreate this line.
3. In recent years I have been working with m. aridus in my breeding. M. aridus is a small, very robust and reliable plant. I made the classic cross between m. aridus and m. longiflorus rutilus (Described by McMinn), and produced a nice, reliable plant. Flowers are nearly rotate, redish, fading to pale yellow. (I consider this fading quality undesirable.) The half dozen or so progeny are remarkably consistent from plant to plant. This plant has been growing reliably under garden conditions for more than three years, and is easy to propagate with cuttings. In the garden, in partial shade, where it is watered several times a week, it blooms continuously from early spring into September (or later). It is bushy, upright, and grows 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall, but that is larger than I would like. This plant is very robust, and easy to reproduce from cuttings as well. I have named this line "Fiesta" because of the shifting colors.
4. My favorite breeding line so far is the cross I made between m. aridus and m. clevlandii. The bright yellow color from the m. clevlandii flowers carries through to this F1 progeny, and the plant is also somewhat tougher and better able to tolerate garden conditions than m. clevelandii alone might be. Flowers are nearly rotate, and have a unique shape with wide, unruffled petals. Flowers are very prolific. These F1 plants are remarkably consistent from plant to plant (among around a dozen progeny). During the spring and summer, the leaves closely resemble those of m. clevelandii, but in the fall and winter, they change and look somewhat more like the leaves from m. aridus. The flowers are neat after blooming, because most of the flower tube is not exposed. Foliage is decumbant, very busy, and sprawls over the side of the pot. Height 1 1/2 feet tall. This is a plant with promise, although it still needs work in a few areas. In the summer, it will wilt if it becomes too dry (as will m. clevlandii); it grows too large; although it blooms over a long period, I would like to extend bloom into winter. (Some cutting grown plants in 2 gal. pots are still moderately blooming in August.) One advantage of this line is that the older growth remains evergreen, even into the next year (it may be cut back). However, the plants are not very reliable and apparently die in the second or third summer. (Cuttings may be taken.) In late winter new growth emerges at the base of the plant and also up to a few inches away from the base from underground stems. I consider this quality very desirable. This plant is temperamental, and I have lost most of them. It may be necessary to repeat the cross to continue this line. (There is a picture here, also a close up on our main page.)
4A. An open polinated volunteer seedling which is very similar to the #4 yellow hybrid, except the flowers are 20 % larger. The plant is also somewhat larger, and less bushy than the #4 hybrid. This came up by itself in an unrelated (different) pot, and I transplanted it out to see what it would do. It appears to have an extended blooming period, continuing with a few blooms into summer, after many of my other bush mimulus have stopped blooming. By mid summer new growth has begun to form at the base of the plant and from the ground near to the plant. I consider this quality very desirable. Height 2 to 2 1/2 feet tall. (Unfortunately this plant was short lived, and did not survive the summer.)
5. A cross between m. aridus and m. flemingii* came into bloom from seed early in the first year. Flowers are small and look like an orange flemingii or aridus. This plant is bushy and compact, with a rounded form, and starts blooming at around 8 inches tall, growing to 1 foot. Dark green leaves resemble m. flemingii. The closest so far to my goal of a very compact plant. Flowers are long lasting and very rain resistant, but the color could be better. Color starts as an orange blush and fades to an all light tan-orange. (Unfortunately, this plant does not appear to survive after bloom. It remains green as long as it is in bloom, but dies after bloom. ) There is potential for experiment here, because of some variation noted among potential m. aridus and m. flemingii parent plants. However, the short life span of these plants, a characteristic which was noted years ago among F1 hybrids between m. flemingii and m. biffidus, is probably caused by a genetic incompatiblity from crosses involving m. flemingii. (A theory which needs further research to be certain.) I did collect some open polinated seed (which I will consider F2 self), and will plant it to investigate this line further.
6. A cross between #4 (above) and a redish-orange m. longiflorus yielded excellent results. Flowers came into bloom in 6 months from seed, growing in small pots. A clear yellow form was selected out and given the tentative line name "Electra". Flowers are larger than #4, but they are shaped like it. Lower petals extend forward like a m. longiflorus. Color is bright, clear yellow, although not quite as bright as #4. So far the other seedlings from this cross have flowers which display yellow with an orange flush, along with a more rounded flower shape, and are not as interesting (although they, too bloomed early in small pots). Height of this plant 8 to 12 inches.
6a. A sibling of #6 (above). Flowers open bright red, then lighten to yellow with a light orange blush around the throat. An interesting variation. Height 8 to 12 inches. From these results, it is apparent the redish-orange parent had m. rutilus genes in it.
7. A volunteer seedling which came up near a group of m. puniceus and also near some open polinated seedlings of m. 'Midnight' hybrid. Flowers are bright red, although they fade somewhat to redish orange. Flowers resemble m. puniceus, although they are larger and ruffled. This plant is a prolific bloomer, over most of the year. It grows (sprawls) quite large, also (about 3 ft. high, and 4 or 5 ft. wide). The plant is much too large, but interesting, nonetheless. (I made a cross between this plant and an m. aridus, but haven't grown the seedlings yet.) Not many other results for this period of time because of moving.
7a. A volunteer seedling very similar to #7, found growing in the same vicinity. Flowers are more orange. Otherwise the same.
8. Open polinated seedlings from a Verity White hybrid. Usually this plant is difficult to cross, but several open polinated seedpods were collected. The seedlings bloomed in the first season. All of them were thick stemmed, with large leaves. Two thirds of them had large, pure white flowers (obviously a self of the Verity White hybrid). The others ranged in color from redish to various orange shades, and displayed intermediate characteristics between the Verity White, and a m. flemingii which was nearby. Flowers were smaller (medium size) and the petiole (flower stem) was longer.
9. A cross between a m. aridus which was on hand with a different m. aridus plant+ produced a rugged m. aridus hybrid with flowers and characteristics similar to the first of the two parent plants. This plant grows to about 8 inches tall, is upright, and bushy. The leaves are small, and the stems are thin. However, it does not appear to bloom very heavily, and the flowers are small.
* The m. flemingii used in cross #5 was grown from seed obtained from the seed bank at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.
+ The second m. aridus plant used in cross #9 was grown from seed obtained from the RSABG seedbank (above).