| Description | Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) is a medium-tall, wide-spreading perennial for full-sun areas of the garden. It has a mildew problem, but this can be worked around by proper management of the plant and garden. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (mow-NAR-da) |
| Plant Type | Perennials Hardy, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 4-9 |
| Sunlight | full |
| Moisture | Grows best in average conditions. In most rich soil, sites will expand rapidly. |
| Soil & Site | average, avoid moist and rich sites |
| Flowers | tubular flowers in a single or double row whorl around the center, colors: white, rose, red, pink, purple, etc, middle of July lasting through August |
| Leaves | opposite, pointed, scented |
| Stems | four angled |
| Roots | fibrous |
| Dimensions | They reach 3-4 feet tall and will spread as far as you let them. New shorter cultivars are becoming available. |
| Maintenance | After the flowers have bloomed, cut the Monarda plant back to the ground. This helps to remove the bare knee stems and leaves that have mildew. Monarda tends to die out in the center and should be divided every 2-3 years. You can dig healthy clumps, replant them, or dig out the center and fill them with compost. The plants will grow back quickly. It's best to place Monarda behind a plant to cover the space left after cutting it back. While all Monarda plants are prone to mildew, the newer cultivars are said to be mildew resistant, although it's unlikely that any are entirely resistant. |
| Propagation | Monarda can be grown from seed, but cultivars will not come true from seed. Monarda can easily be reproduced by division |
| Misc Facts | This plant is called Oswego Tea because it was discovered by John Bartram near Oswego, New York. He used the leaves to make tea. The genus was named after Nicolas Monardes, a 16th-century botanist. "The common name of bee balm is in reference to a former use of plant resins to soothe bee stings. Common name of Oswego tea is in reference to a former use of plants leaves for tea by the Oswego Indians of New York State. The toothed, aromatic leaves (3-5" "long) are still used today for teas and salads. The common name of wild bergamot is in reference to the purported similarity of the aroma of plant flowers to the bergamot orange." ("144) |
| Author's Notes | Monarda is an excellent hardy plant for the perennial garden; if a few maintenance rules and selection of newer cultivars are followed, they can be long-lasting plants, |
| Notes & Reference | #04-Herbaceous Perennial Plants (Allan Armitage), #40-Herbaceous Ornamental Plants (Steven Stills), #144-Missouri Botanical Gardens web site (www.missouribotanicalgarden.org), #274-Site Authors' observations and growing experiences of different Monarda cultivars |
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