

Red Bee Balm and Wild Bergamot will colonize the area they grow in through rhizomes. It seems to handle drought without much of an issue, and does great in my hard clay soil. Overall though, the pink variety (Mondarda Fistulosa) is probably the most versatile, as it seems to grow just about anywhere. So, you need to understand your yard in order to successfully have all three varieties. While Wild Bergamot and Spotted Bee Balm can tolerate a drought, and do just fine in medium-moist soil. The main considerations are that the red Bee Balm likes moist soil, so it won’t tolerate a drought. So, if your yard can support it, you can have Bee Balm blooming throughout most of the growing season if you grow more than one kind. Which Bee Balm should you grow for your yard? Monarda can often hybridize with itself, forming new cultivars such as Monarda Media.The name ‘bee balm’ comes from the historic use of applying it to bee stings.Has been used medicinally for hundreds of years.

#Bee balm leaves full
Generally prefer full sun, but partial shade is fine.Studies have shown that the various flowering times of the different Monarda species can be tied to migration patterns of hummingbirds. And finally Spotted Bee Balm bloom from late August into Autumn. Next, I normally observe Wild Bergamot ( Monarda Fistulosa) bloom during mid-Summer, around July and into August. I’ve found that the red Bee Balm, Monarda Didyma blooms earliest – typically during the month of June to early July (For Zone 6). These flowers are very showy, and each variety serves a purpose in the ecosystem. The native range of these varies, but in general it goes from Canada to the Gulf Coast, from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean – so basically 2/3 of Canada and the United States. Some bees pollinate them, but primarily it is butterflies and humming birds, or humming bird moths. These beautiful native perennials can grow several feet tall, and serve valuable nectar to butterflies and hummingbirds. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea) planted with Bee Balmīee balm is a ‘catch all’ term that encompasses several species of flowering herbs from the Monarda genus.
