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Bee Balm: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Bee Balm | The Old Farmer's Almanac

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Bee Balm (Monarda)

Flowering bee balm (Monarda) in the garden

Photo Credit
Tatyana Mut/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Monarda spp.
Plant Type
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Hardiness Zone
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Special Features
Attracts Birds
Attracts Butterflies
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How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Bee Balm

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A perennial favorite native to North America, bee balm (Monarda spp.), aka wild bergamot, flowers in mid- to late summer—and is beloved by hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies! Here’s how to plant and grow bee balm in the spring or fall!

About Bee Balm

Bee balm is a native American plant not only known for its attract scarlet flowers that bloom in summertime but also its fragrant foliage. Slender, tubular flowers are produced in 2- to 3-inch-wide flower heads in June and July.  Flower colors include white, pink, red, lavender, and purple.

In the garden, its most frequent visitors are hummingbirds, bees,and  butterflies because they have the long tongues required to reach the tubular flowers’ nectar. Bumblebees and a few other insects are too big to get into some of the smaller tubular flowers of some bee balms, so the insects practice something called “nectar robbing.” The insects punch a tiny hole at the base of the flower to access the nectar, bypassing the flower’s pollen and “robbing” it of its nectar.

Beside attracting pollinators, the seed heads will attract birds in the fall and winter. Learn more about plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Given its height (2-4 feet), bee balm makes for an excellent background plant in a flower bed. Consider as part of a pollinator garden!

Check out this video to learn more about the benefits of growing bee balm:

Planting

Bee balm performs best in full sun (at least 6 hours). It will grow in partial shade but won’t flower as well and is more susceptible to powdery mildew. Provide moist, well-draining soil with a neutral pH. Amend soil with compost or aged manure, if necessary.

When to Plant Bee Balm

  • Bee balm can be planted in the spring or in the fall.
  • Spring is the best time to divide existing plants and transplant.

How to Plant Bee Balm

  • Give careful thought to placement. Without good air circulation, the leaves can develop powdery mildew, a fungal disease. (Reduce watering if this appears.) Space plants 18 to 24 inches part. 
  • Water thoroughly at the time of planting.
Growing
  • Keep soil evenly moist throughout the growing season, watering every 7 to 10 days during dry periods. Soak to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Add mulch to preserve moisture and control weeds.
  • Avoid fertilizer in general; apply only a sprinkling of a balanced product in spring, if desired. An excess can promote rampant leaf growth and powdery mildew. 
  • Deadhead faded blooms to encourage the plant to re-bloom in late summer. Deadheading the main stem allows the side shoots to develop and bloom. These, too, can be cut when flowers reach the size you want.
  • After the first frost in the fall, leave seed heads for the birds or cut stems back to about 2 inches above the soil. (See local frost dates.)
  • Divide every 2 to 3 years to ensure its vigor. (Clumps tend to die out from the center.)
Recommended Varieties
  • Monarda didyma is bright red and grows 3 to 4 feet tall.
  • M. didyma varieties that are resistant to powdery mildew include ‘Marshall’s Delight’ (bright pink), ‘Jacob Cline’ (deep red), and ‘Raspberry Wine’ (dark red). 
  • M. fistulosa produces lavender-pink blooms in late summer; tolerant of dry soils; commonly called “wild bergamot.”
  • M. pringlei grows 18 inches tall and is immune to powdery mildew. ‘Petite Wonder’ and ‘Petite Delight’ are pink varieties.

Harvesting

Bee balm is a lovely cut flower. The leaves are aromatic, which adds interest to an indoor arrangement. Cut the main stem flower just as it begins to open up. The plant’s side shoots will continue to develop and bloom. The side shoots can be cut for indoor enjoyment, too. Vase life is 7 dats. 

Wit and Wisdom
  • The common name of bee balm is in reference to its former use to treat bee stings! 
  • Native Americans and early colonists used bee balm leaves and flowers to make a variety of medicinal salves and drinks.
  • The Native American word for a river in New York became part of the name of a bee balm drink: Oswego tea.
  • Bee balm is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Its foliage has a strong aroma and is sometimes used in herbal teas, salads, and as garnishes. The flowers are also edible.
  • Although called “wild bergamot,” bee balm is not used in “bergamot” (Earl Grey) tea, which is made with oils extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a citrus fruit.
Pests/Diseases

Diseases: southern blight, fungal leaf spot, powdery mildew, rust
Pests: aphids, spider mites, stalk borers, thrips

Flowers
Annuals

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Comments

gina (not verified)

6 months 2 weeks ago

I cut back my bee balm last fall and it not growing. Its already June and it has not grown at all

Joel Harding (not verified)

1 year 4 months ago

After doing a ton of research and experimentation, I believe I have a good handle on bee balm.

Someone asked about red bee balm, why it's purple and not red. Red is Monarda Didymus, a cultivar aka Scarlet Bee Balm. They're in the mint family, so they're very forgiving. I restrict mine to large pots as they're aggressively invasive. I'm putting a few in the ground this fall enclosed by pots with the bottoms cut out.

I always water from the bottom to avoid powdery mildew.

My bee balms are always busy with hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. I keep a few next to my tomatoes, with other squirrel repellent plants, I haven't lost a tomatoe this year.

I grow mine from seed, I have 20 I'm about to plant. I have a shade garden and a sun garden, all focused on hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees - pollinators. My wife thinks I'm crazy, but she is always watching our bee balms with delight!

Clare (not verified)

10 months 2 weeks ago

Last fall I planted Scarlet Bee Balm in a patch of invasive lemon balm - I'm hoping it out-competes the mint so that I at least get blooms. I've tried without success to eradicate the mint. Hopefully the Scarlet Bee Balm takes over the area.

Charlotte McDermott (not verified)

1 year 6 months ago

I have a beautiful 4 ft tall red Bee Balm. Yesterday we had a severe storm with high winds that beat down the branches. Should I tie them back up, or will they stand back up on their own.

Charlotte McDermott (not verified)

1 year 6 months ago

I have a beautiful 4 ft tall red Bee Balm. Yesterday we had a severe storm with high winds that beat down the branches. Should I tie them back up, or will they stand back up on their own.