Common names for Bee balm (Monarda) include Oswego tea, horsemint, and bergamot. It belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae, and is a hardy perennial which grows for many years.
This plant is a magnet for forage pollinators and is a great addition to home-made potpourris and lotions.
The captivating flowers of bee balm are indeed breathtaking and greatly enhance the beauty of a garden.
Like many flowers, they are native to the eastern portion of North America and bloom mid to late summer. They serve many purposes, including:
- The scarlet-colored flowers are edible.
- The leaves can be used to make tea.
Oswego tea, as it is known, was used by Oswego native Americans and was embraced by colonists. Forefathers replaced English teas with Oswego after the Boston Tea Party.
This was a victorious non-British alternative for Americans who enjoyed tea. It significantly contributed to the uproar of the Sons of Liberty.
In North America, this bee balm plant is found in a number of varieties.
Which Varieties Should You Grow?
While making a choice of which to plant, you have a choice of over 50 different cultivars. However, the most popular ones are wild bergamots (Monarda fistulosa) and jacob clines (Monarda didyma).
To select which varieties to cultivate, understand the traits of the most common bee balm types.
Jacob Clines
This cultivar is particularly appealing to hummingbirds and can adapt to grow quickly and in various dirt types. In addition, Jacob Clines have bright red vivid colors that are hard to miss.
Wild Bergamots
This type can reach 4 feet in height and has a robust scent. Furthermore, it can be of nutritional and medicinal use. Additionally, wild bergamot is purple and attracts basically every type of pollinator.
Leading Lady Plum
These flowers are 14 inches in height and are the first to bloom in comparison to any other bee balm varieties. In addition, most of these leading lady plums are magenta, with dark purple splashes.
Lemon Bergamot
Also known as lemon mint, this type has a powerful scent. Its flowers appear in the second half of summer and the start of fall. Additionally, it can be found in teas and potpourri and grows to about 30 inches.
How Does Bee Balm Grow?
Bee balms (monarda) grow from two to four feet in height. In addition, these wonderful plants have pink flowers and are excellent for attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Is Bee Balm Invasive?
Bee balm flowers, known botanically as monarda, can be easily propagated through seeds, cuttings, or root divisions.
In fact, this plant can become invasive. Bee balm can easily spread each growing season, especially when the weather is warmer. This is due to rapid propagation through underground rhizomes. In fact, so much so that you may need to find ways to remove it.
What do Bee Balms Require to Grow?
Bee balm grows well in many soils. Although the bee balm flowers prefer full sun, they tolerate partial shade in hot weather.
Bee balm can be grown in:
- Spring two weeks before the last frost or
- Late in summer at least two months before the first frost.
Bee balm flowers also need soil that is rich with nutrients, has a pH 6 to 7 and drains well. While the plant does not tolerate drought well, it thrives when the soil is damp, but not overly sopping wet.
How Should You Plant These Perennial Flowers?
From Seed
If you are planting from seed, you can plant 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost. It typically takes one to two weeks for the seeds to sprout. The seeds need to be sown at an eighth inch depth and one inch spacing. Seedlings need to be thinned to one plant for every one foot of spacing.
If you are particularly attracted to the hues of a bee balm flower, be prepared to split the plant for propagation. Though you can start new plants from seeds that you collect, the color of the flowers might change due to bee balm’s tendency to revert to its wild form.
From Cuttings
To start plants from cuttings:
- Choose a stem with two sets of leaves.
- Strip the lower set of leaves off and plant in potting soil
- Cover the nodes from which the lower leaves were stripped.
- Wait two to three weeks for the bee balm to root.
Exercise caution in where you place the bee balm. It is best to avoid putting it in high-traffic areas for people and pets as it is loved by bees.
How do You Take Care of Bee Balm?
Caring for bee balm requires addressing several potential problems. During the winter months, the bee balm plant is vulnerable to root rot due to cold, wet soil. As a preventive measure, it is best to cover the plant with a few inches of mulch in the fall.
In hot weather, bee balm is susceptible to powdery mildew, which is both unsightly and annoying although it is not life threatening. As a best practice, maintain good airflow around the plant and try to water it at soil level.
After successfully planting bee balm and establishing a flowering bed, one can appreciate the work put in. As one enjoys the pleasant fragrance, the bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies pollinate the plant.
Does Bee Balm Attract Bees?
Some plants play a more useful role to the economy at large than what is visible at the surface level through gardening. While honey bees are popularly known for pollination, the British Bee Keepers Association has estimated honey bees singlehandedly contribute around 165 million pounds to the UK economy each year.
Every gardener looking to redesign their garden for optimal pollination should consider planting bee balm. While honey bees are known to contribute a large amount of pollination, including bee balm or flowering plants stands to significantly contribute to the cause of saving bees.
Which Pests do Monardas Attract?
Sadly, bee balm flowers are infested by more than just bees, birds, and butterflies. They are also plagued by numerous pests, such as:
Spider mites: These mites damage garden bee balms by extracting their fluids through the leaves. This leads to the eventual loss of foliage.
If you could see mites, you can apply insecticide soap to help with your flowers.
Aphids: These pests not only suck the leaves, but they also secrete a clear, sugary fluid known as honeydew. When the flower’s foliage becomes coated with honeydew, it can eventually lead to its spoilage.
The best remedy for these insects is to grow some herbs like basil. Basil is known to draw ladybugs, and in turn ladybugs will help in controlling the aphids.
Stalk borers: Also called as stem borers. These pests feed on the living plant’s internal tissue. Signs of their infestation include small cracks and yellow fragments in the flowers and small caterpillars in the fresh flower stems.
Regularly weeding improves the chances of not getting invaded by stalk borers.
Should Bee Balm be Deadheaded?
At the end of every blooming season, you should deadhead the flowers just above the next bud. Once the stem finishes flowering, you should cut the stem back to ground level with sharp clippers.
Taking these steps will help ensure they will develop additional growth in the years to come, creating a delightful collection.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bee Balms
Where to plant bee balm?
Bee balm grows best in sunny locations with moist, fertile soil. You should plant them in places that need to be brightened up with the the flower’ delightful hues.
What does bee balm look like?
The bee balm flower is shaped like a daisy with tube-like petals in bright colors such as:
- White
- Pink
- Red
- Purple
When does bee balm bloom?
Bee balm is a perennial plant, meaning they will bloom every year, and they will flower beautifully in the summer.
When to plant bee balm?
In regions with moderate humidity, the best planting period is fall. In mediterranean climates, bee balm can be planted in spring and fall.
How to deadhead bee balm?
To deadhead the plant, trim the bloomery contenders to within a quarter-inch of the foliage at the top of the stalk. You may choose to compost the deadheaded flowers or dispose of them entirely.
What is bee balm used for?
Bee balm can be used for:
- Medicinal reasons as an antimicrobial and a stress-relieving cure.
- Warm and soothing herbal teas that help you digest.
- Cooking purposes because of its pleasant aroma.
What do bee balm seeds look like?
They are small golden dots which are numerous. When spreading them out aim to be even otherwise you may have areas congested with seeds.
When to transplant bee balm?
If you wish to transplant the flower, it can be done after it has fully bloomed or the following spring. To transplant simply uproot the clump and cut it into two equal halves.
When to cut back bee balm?
It is best to cut back bee balm when there is mildew on the foliage post flowering. For the infected debris, do not compost, instead use the trash.