The bee balm plant is a North American native that thrives in woodland areas. Also known as bergamot and by its botanical name Monarda, bee balm is attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The bee balm flower has an open, daisy-like shape, with tubular petals in shades of red, pink, purple, and white. Bee balm plants are perennial, coming back year after year to add cheerful color to your garden.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Monarda is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. The genus is endemic to North America. Common names include bergamot, bee balm, horsemint, and oswego tea, the first being inspired by the fragrance of the leaves, which is reminiscent of bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia). The genus was named for the Spanish botanist Nicolás Monardes, who wrote a book in 1574 describing plants of the New World.
Monarda species include annual and perennial herbaceous plants. They grow erect to heights of 20–90 cm (8–35 in). The slender, serrated, lanceolate leaves are oppositely arranged on the square stem, hairless or sparsely hairy, and about 7–14 cm (2.8–5.5 in) long.
The flowers are tubular and bilaterally symmetric, with a narrow upper lip and a wider lower lip. The wild flowers are single, but some cultivated forms have double flowers. They are monoecious, with male and female structures in each flower. There are two stamens. Inflorescences occur at the top of the stem or emerge from the axils. They are typically crowded head-like clusters of flowers with leafy bracts. Flower color varies, with wild species bearing red, pink, and light purple flowers. M. didyma has bright carmine red flowers, M. fistulosa has pink, and M. citriodora and M. pectinata have pale purple. Hybrids occur in the wild, and they are common in cultivation. Seed collected from hybrids does not yield plants identical to the parent.
II. Types of Bee Balm
While some varieties of bee balm sold in garden centers are pure species or direct cultivars, many have complicated hybrid parentage that includes contributions from two or more parent species. The named hybrid types are usually sold simply as Monarda, without any further species designation.
The varieties with red or reddish-pink flowers are usually based on M. didyma, while those with lavender or purple flowers have M. fistula as the principal parent. Cultivars of the M. fistula species are somewhat better at handling dry soil.
Here are some popular bee balm cultivars:
- Monarda didyma ‘Jacob Cline’ has flowers that are brighter scarlet than the species, and it is known to draw hummingbirds.
- Monarda didyma ‘Pardon My Lavender’ is a short 14- to 18-inch tall bee balm with lavender-pink flowers. It is notably resistant to powdery mildew.
- Monarda fistula ‘Claire Grace’ has darker purple flowers than the pure M. fistula species and it is known for its good resistance to powdery mildew.
- Monarda ‘Scorpion’ is a 3- to 4-foot hybrid variety with purple flower bracts. It has superior cold hardiness and readily survives in zone 3.
- Monarda ‘Marshall’s Delight’ is a 2- to 3-foot hybrid with clear pink flowers. It has good resistance to powdery mildew.
- Monarda ‘Vintage Wine’ is a 2- to 3-foot hybrid variety with wine-red flowers.
- Monarda ‘Purple Lace’ is a 1- to 2-foot miniature hybrid with purple-red flowers.
- Monarda pringlei is a smaller variety that only reaches a height of about 18 inches and is often seen with red or pink blooms.
- ‘Colrain Red’, ‘Raspberry Wine’, ‘Rose Queen’, ‘Rosy Purple’, and ‘Violet Queen’ are other powdery mildew-resistant monardas.
III. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Though bee balm can handle partial shade, it thrives best if it receives at least six hours of full sun daily. Too much shade is known to make the plant leggy and can often reduce the number or vibrancy of its blooms. However, bee balm plants grown in hotter, dry climates will do best if sheltered from the afternoon sun.
Temperature
Temperature and Humidity
Bee balm is not particularly picky about its temperature or humidity conditions, so long as it’s planted within its proper USDA zone range (zones 3 to 9). It prefers relatively dry atmospheric conditions, good air circulation, and water at ground level to reduce diseases. However, though bee balms are hardy and handle very color or very hot temperatures, high humidity can increase the incidence of disease.
Watering
Bee balm is a moisture-loving plant and enjoys having consistently damp soil. Because of this, depending on your climate and area, you should plan to water the plant at least weekly, never allowing the soil to dry out. It’s especially important to maintain a proper watering cadence in the plant’s first year, as that allows it to establish a solid root system. The standard garden practice of offering 1 inch of water per week will work fine for bee balm. To prevent problems with powdery mildew, water at ground level and avoid getting the foliage wet.
Soil
For your bee balm to thrive, you should plant it in soil that is rich, moist, and has a pH level of 6.0 to 7.0. Most garden soils are entirely adequate for bee balm. If necessary, poor soil can be amended with compost or manure to enrich it, loosen it up, and make it more amenable to growing bee balm. You can also add a layer of mulch atop your soil to ensure this shallow-rooted plant stays moist.
Fertilizing
Though it’s unnecessary for the plant’s success, you can feed your bee balm plants with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer each spring for an added dose of nutrition. Be wary of over-fertilizing, as this can reduce flowering. Follow the product label instructions for the proper amount to use.
Planting Instructions
Plant container-grown bee balm in the spring or fall. Plant your starts about 18 to 24 inches apart and keep the soil evenly moist while the plant establishes itself during the growing season. If you want to start bee balm plants from seeds, sow indoors about 8 weeks before the last frost. To plant seeds directly in your garden, wait until the weather is reliably warm. Sow your seeds on the surface of the soil and don’t cover them with topsoil. Once the seeds begin to root, add a layer of mulch to keep the soil moist. When the plants are established, you can thin out extra seedlings until the plants are about 18 to 24 inches apart.
Pruning
Pick bee balm flowers frequently to encourage flower production. Plants can be deadheaded throughout the season to prevent them from producing seeds, or to simply keep flower beds looking neat and tidy. Deadheading will also promote a new flush of blooms. This is most frequently done by the use of pruners or secateurs, making certain to carefully cut just above the nearest set of healthy leaves.
If you want a bushier plant, pinch off the stem tips as new growth appears in the early spring. In late fall, cut bee balm down to just a few inches (5 to 10 cm) tall. In cold areas, it may die completely to the ground during the winter but will reappear in the spring.
Propagation
Bee balm can be propagated through division and cuttings. However, division is the easiest propagation method for this plant. This will also help to keep the plant healthy and full and should be done every few years.2 To do this, you will need a shovel, a pair of garden snips, compost or fertilizer, and gloves. Then follow the instructions below, depending on the propagation method you choose.
To propagate by division:
When you see new stems emerging from the ground, it signals a good time for division.
- Using the shovel, dig up the entire root system and gently lift the plant from the ground.
- Using a sharp knife, divide the clump into multiple sections. Each section should have at least two or three shoots and a good root system.
- If the center of the plant is woody and scraggly, remove it and discard it.
- Amend the soil with compost or well-balanced fertilizer.
- Replant the pieces immediately where you want new plants to grow, and water well.
- Keep the new plants well-watered for the first year of growth.
To propagate through cuttings:
You will need a pair of snips, rich soil, a small pot, rooting hormone, a plastic bag, and a rubber band. Then follow these instructions:
- In the spring and with sterilized snips, trim a cutting of new growth around 6 inches long. Trim below a node.
- Remove the lower leaves.
- Dip the cut end into rooting hormone and gently plant it into rich soil.
- Water the cutting, then place the plastic bag over the cutting to retain moisture. Secure it to the pot with a rubber band.
- Check the soil regularly, keeping it moist.
- Roots should appear in two or three weeks. When this happens, remove the plastic bag.
How to Grow From Seed
Starting bee balm from seed indoors requires patience. Harvest bee balm seeds in the fall that you can collect from their dried flower heads. The seeds will benefit from a period of cold stratification until you can plant them. Then follow these instructions.
- Start the seeds indoors about eight weeks before the last frost, using small pots or seedling trays filled with commercial potting mix.
- Sow four or five seeds in each pot, or two seeds in each seedling cell.
- Place the seeds on the surface and cover with a bare sprinkling of potting mix—the seeds need light to germinate.
- Place the pots or trays under lights, and water them with a spray bottle.
- Keep the seeds above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not let the soil dry out.
- Within a few weeks, root systems will develop.
- Pot up the plants when they have two sets of true leaves.
- Make sure to harden off the plants for a week before planting into the garden. Plant when the weather has warmed and all danger of frost has passed.
Potting and Repotting
Although container culture is not common, bee balm is sometimes grown in large 5- to 10-gallon containers by gardeners who want to attract butterflies or hummingbirds to a patio garden. Resin plastic makes a good pot material, though any container with plenty of drainage holes will suffice. Fill it with a standard potting mix blended with additional compost, then plant the bee balm in the center of the pot.
Miniature varieties often work best for container culture. Place the pot in a sunny location and water whenever the top inch of soil gets dry.
Potted bee balm plants should be left outdoors for the winter but they should be moved to a sheltered location, such as a cold frame, an unheated porch, or a garage. It is possible to move a potted bee balm indoors for the winter, but don’t expect it to bloom. Bee balm does not make a good permanent houseplant, as it goes dormant each winter.
Since bee balm is such a fast grower, these plants will need to be repotted or divided often, possibly every year to prevent them from becoming root bound in the pot. To repot, gently loosen the root system until it slides out of the pot. Amend a new, larger pot with rich soil and plant the bee balm. Water thoroughly.
Overwintering
After frost kills the plants in the fall or winter, cut back all stems to about 2 inches from the ground. Debris should be thrown away rather than added to compost heaps, to prevent fungal spores from persisting. No other winter protection is needed in most regions, though gardeners in climates with extremely cold winters may want to mulch the crown to protect the roots from freeze-thaw cycles.
Pests and Diseases
Common Pests and Plant Diseases
Bee balm can be affected by a variety of minor pests, though infestations are rarely serious—possibly because this member of the mint family has a scent that naturally repels insects. Pests may include spider mites, aphids, and stalk borers.
By far the biggest problem with bee balm is powdery mildew, a fungal disease that causes a powdery white or gray residue on leaves and buds. An environment with humid nights and coolish days attracts this fungus. If your plants succumb to powdery mildew after you have enjoyed the flowers for a while, trim them back to the ground and properly dispose of the cut growth. Alternatively, if your bee balm plants come down with powdery mildew too early, and cutting the plants down is out of the question, spray them with a commercial or homemade fungicide. Repeated applications, beginning early, will be necessary to fully control the mildew.
To avoid powdery mildew in the first place, keep bee balm spaced at least 2 feet apart from one another for excellent air circulation. Water at the base of the plant rather than spraying overhead to avoid raising the humidity level in the plant’s crown. Plant foliage tends to decline after flowering, especially if powdery mildew sets in.
Bee balm is also susceptible to rust fungus that can disfigure the leaves. Control rust with spray fungicides if the disease is severe.
Common Problems
Bee balms are quite easy to grow and do not often have many problems. However, some plants are plagued by a leggy appearance and powdery mildew. Here are some solutions.
Sparse, Leggy Appearance
It’s natural for bee balm plants to appear ratty and sparse late in the season after the flowering period is over. Powdery mildew makes the plants look even worse. To avoid this leggy look in the garden, position bee balm plants where the foliage can be hidden from view behind other plants while still maintaining good air circulation. You can also cut off the stems to just above ground level late in the season which will not harm the plants or stunt their return in the spring.
Brown, Wilted Foliage
If plants present brown, wilted foliage, along with a covering of gray powder, it’s likely powdery mildew. This fungal disease is common among bee balms and it often appears when there is high humidity and poor air circulation. To prevent this, be sure to keep plants well-ventilated by pruning, dividing, and weeding. Water at ground level to avoid getting the foliage wet. If powdery mildew appears, treat it with a fungicide or other home remedy. Be sure to remove any fallen foliage. In the fall, prune away all the affected stems and discard them.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Ornamental uses
Though many choose to grow bee balm flowers as an ornamental, they are also quite useful in herb beds and when planted near vegetable gardens. As their namesake would imply, bee balm serves as a vital resource to pollinators. These plants are often considered to be an invaluable asset to hummingbird gardens, as their nectar-rich blooms are an especially irresistible treat.
- Other uses
The crushed leaves of all species exude a spicy, fragrant essential oil. Of the species examined in one study, M. didyma contained the highest concentration of oil.
Several species, including Monarda fistulosa and M. didyma, have a long history of use as medicinal plants by many Native Americans, such as the Blackfoot, Menominee, Ojibwa and Winnebago. The Blackfoot recognized the strong antiseptic action of the plants, and used them in poultices for skin infections and minor wounds. Native Americans and later settlers also used it to alleviate stomach and bronchial ailments. A tisane made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis. Bee balm is a natural source of the antiseptic compound thymol, the primary active ingredient in some modern commercial mouthwash formulas. The Winnebago used a bee balm tisane as a general stimulant. Bee balm was also used as a carminative herb by Native Americans to prevent excessive flatulence.
Although somewhat bitter due to the thymol content in the leaves and buds, the plant tastes like a mix of spearmint and peppermint with oregano. Bee balm was traditionally used by Native Americans as a seasoning for wild game, particularly birds. The plants are widespread across North America and can be found in moist meadows, hillsides, and forest clearings up to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) in elevation.
Monarda plants thrive in sun and moist but well-drained soil. Plants growing in partial shade spread horizontally and produce fewer flowers. Monarda are used in beds and borders to attract hummingbirds, pollinating insects, and insects that control garden pests. They are prone to developing powdery mildew in high humidity, especially if planted in a place without good air circulation.
