There’s a reason the bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and even moths can’t stay away from bee balm — and once you see it in bloom, you won’t be able to either. Bee balm is known botanically as Monarda, and this North American native is more than just a pretty face in the garden. The blooms are like shaggy fireworks in colors of pink, red, and purple. The leaves are very aromatic with a minty, and some even have a licorice smell. Growing native bee balm brings a real ecological value to any landscape.
Photo by Aletha K.
Bee Balm (Monarda) Basics
- Botanical name: Monarda spp.
- Common names: Bee balm, wild bergamot, Oswego tea
- Belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae)
- Native range: Central and Eastern North America, with some species reaching the West; mainly zones 4-9
- Known for: Square, hollow stems, tubular flowers, aromatic foliage, highly attractive to pollinators, and Oswego tea from its leaves
Why Monarda Matters
I originally planted Bee balm in my garden because it was a native and it was pretty. That was a good start, however, that was only the beginning of why I love this plant and find it essential in any yard or garden. Bee balm is a plant staple if you are looking to help the pollinators in your garden space. The bee balm flower is beautiful and the pollinators can’t resist them.
Monarda is my pick, especially if you are just starting out to add natives to your space. Monarda is a super easy to grow perennial. Perennials are plants that will grow year after year, unlike annuals that grow only one season. (Or two seasons in certain climates). However, there are a few bee balms that are annuals, like the Monarda citriodora which is a winter annual.
My favorite reason to add bee balm to your garden is because it is sought after amongst the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Even hummingbird moths love Monarda.
Unfortunately, over the past few years there has been a huge concern for population decline of both bees and butterflies. I have noticed this particular year that at the beginning of spring I was not seeing many bees or butterflies around. As I am growing native bee balm plants and they have started to bloom, I have noticed more native pollinators on the blooms. It has been a relief to see them flying around the garden.
Growing Native Bee Balm
- Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
- Soil: Prefers well-drained soil, tolerates clay with compost
- Spacing: Allow airflow to prevent powdery mildew (the variety-“Jacob Cline” is resistant to powdery mildew)
- Watering: Moderate
- Bloom Time: Late Spring- all summer long and early fall
- Maintenance tips:
- Cut back in late fall or early spring
- Divide every few years
- Deadhead to prolong blooming and help maintain a bushy growth
- Bonus: Deer resistant (most of the time), rabbit tolerant, and easy to grow!
Native Bee Balm Varieties You’ll Want in Your Garden
Bee Balm is a native to North America. In fact, it is so well known that it has made its way to other areas of the world, such as Europe. There are as many as 25 different species of Monarda and hundreds of varieties in trade. Generally, Monarda grows anywhere from 2 to 4 feet in height. Some varieties can get as tall as 6 feet. The blooms of bee balm come in pink, red, purple/lavender, and white. The bee balm leaves are fragrant with a mixture of different fragrances depending on the variety you have.
Native Bee Balm Varieties
- Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot): Perennial; Pale lavender, pink, or white flowers, drought-tolerant, widespread native, can reach 5 feet tall; the variety ‘Clare Grace’ is somewhat mildew resistant
photo by Robert Mohlenbrock
- Monarda didyma (Scarlet Bee Balm/Oswego Tea): Perennial; Bright red blooms, Eastern U.S. native, more moisture-loving; 2-4 feet tall, sometimes reaching 6 feet in height; susceptible to powdery mildew; the variant-‘Jacob Cline’ is resistant to powdery mildew.
- Monarda punctata (Spotted Bee Balm): Perennial; Unique stacked whorls; 6 inches- 3 feet tall; pale purple, pink, yellow, or green flowers; lemony scent, prefers sandy soils, excellent for dry or sandy native gardens; drought tolerant; can be aggressive
- Monarda citriodora (Lemon Bee Balm): Annual; Found in southern U.S., especially Texas; 1-2 feet tall, often spreads in large clumps, citrus aroma when leaves are crushed, popular with native bee and butterfly species
Photo taken by Clarence Rechenthin
- Monarda bradburiana (Eastern Bee Balm): Perennial; found in the lower southern states; close to 16 inches tall; blooms are pink and purple; blooms June – September; can be found along roadsides, field, and woodland perimeter; large attraction for hummingbirds
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photo by Steve Law
- Monarda clinopodioides (Basil Bee Balm): Annual; 15 inches tall; pink and purple blooms; located in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana; Largely located in the Texas Hill Country
- Monarda frutisculosa (Shrubby Bee Balm): Perennial; can reach 2 feet tall; Blooms are white or pink; only found in Texas
- Monarda lindheimeri (Lindheimer’s Bee Balm): Perennial; Can reach 2-3 feet tall; blooms are white; plants can be found in Louisiana and in Texas
- Monarda russeliana (Redpurple Bee Balm): Perennial; reaches about 2 1/2 feet tall; blooms are white with the face of the flower having reddish-purple spots; found in the southern states of U.S.
- Monarda viridissima (Green Bee Balm): Perennial; gets almost 3 feet tall; blooms are pink, red, white; Blooms are slightly larger than other Monarda blooms; one of the harder to find Monardas; range is Central Texas to South Texas
photo by khteWisconsin
Looking for other native plants? Check out our list of 20 Native Fall Flowers Here
Bee Balm Propagation- Did you say free?
Plants can get expensive when you are buying them from the nursery. When I bought mine, I spent from $13-24 a piece for them. That adds up pretty fast when you are buying multiple plants. Now I take stem cuttings or rhizome cuttings from those purchased plants to propagate new plants.
Rhizomes are underground stems that grow from the parent plant. You can cut off a part of the rhizome, about 2 inches, and plant that section in a new pot or straight into the ground.
In addition, when the plants have been in the ground for several years you can take them and divide the plants from the roots. This is similar to rhizome cuttings but you are taking a larger section of the parent plant to make a new plant.
Another way to get new plants is by growing native bee balm plants from seed after the plants bloom and plant those seeds to get new plants. You will not need to do any seed preparation, such as scarification to get the seeds ready to plant. Bee balm sprouts easily from seeds and needs a light misting with water after you plant them. This helps the seeds germinate by keeping them moist. The seeds are small so take care not to wash the seeds away when watering.
All of these ways of propagation will get you new plants for free- my favorite way to acquire new plants.
Deadheading Bee Balm Flowers
One of the best ways to get the plants to keep blooming is by deadheading the flowers. I usually do this when the flowers look spent and at the end of the blooming period for that flower. Trimming the plants will also encourage new growth. Deadheading will also help the plants from getting leggy. To do this I simply cut just above a new set of growth for each stem.
When we get heavy rains the taller bee balm stalks will fall over. This goes along with the previous paragraph and trimming your plants to avoid leggy growth. The picture below shows a bee balm plant that had its stems fall over in a heavy rain. I trimmed it and only 3 days later the plant has a flush of new growth. This will also encourage another set of blooms soon.
Bee Balm Pollinators
Many bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds find bee balm as a favorite source of food. Hummingbirds especially love bee balm plants. In addition, Monarda fistulosa (Wild bergamot) is favored by bumble bees. Also, many different bee species enjoy the spotted beebalm variety.
Furthermore, the black sweat bee (Dufourea monardae) is a specialist to bee balms. The black sweat bee only gets its pollen from bee balm. The Black Sweat Bees are tiny but they are mighty. This is one of the many reasons we should be planting bee balm in our gardens.
photo from USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab
Another tad bit of information, bee balm is the host plant for the Hermit sphinx moth (Sphinx cremitus). The means that the Hermint sphinx moth will lay its eggs on bee balm and the larvae will feed off of the bee balm leaves. They rarely destroy the plants when feeding.
Pests and Diseases of Monarda/Bee Balm Plants
Monarda has few pests that will attack and eat it. However, the spotted tortoise beetle (P. unipunctata) is one of the few pests that will feed on bee balm, in particular- M. fistulosa.
An interesting fact about this particular beetle and its feeding habits are very peculiar. The beetle will feed off of the plant and then with the host compound (the plant juices and chemicals that the beetle ate) the beetle will create a fecal shield that wards off predators and keeps the beetle safe. When the larvae are disturbed the beetles will use the fecal shield by waving it towards their predators. Their predators will leaving not wanting to get into that mess. That is pretty clever and slightly gross!
Bee balm is susceptible to powdery mildew. Even though the plants are susceptible to the disease, I have never needed to spray for it to control it. My plants do just fine and do not suffer from powdery mildew when they have it.
Make sure that there is good air circulation to help prevent it. Along with good air circulation, I highly recommend when watering the plants to water the soil and try to avoid getting the leaves wet. This helps from spreading the powdery mildew from leaf to leaf.
I have not had any previous trouble with my Monarda plants dying in a freeze; I live right outside the Houston area. Bee Balms can tolerate cold. When I am super ambitious, I will cover them up before a freeze to give them extra protection. I like to protect the plant so that it will have a head start to the growing season in the spring. However, this is not necessary to keep it alive during a cold snap.
Designing With Bee Balm
Bee Balm is so versatile that it can be put almost anywhere in your garden. The bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds don’t really care where you put it as long as you get it in your garden space. Even so, you may want some inspiration on some of the best places for growing native bee balm in your garden. Here are a few ideas on how to incorporate this into your garden beds.
- Companion planting ideas: Echinacea, black-eyed Susans, milkweed, native grasses
- Use in butterfly and pollinator gardens
- Borders, meadow plantings, herb spirals
- Fragrance gardens and tea gardens
If you are looking for more information about bee balm, pollinators or any other native plant information, check out the Xerces Society. They have many great pictures and wonderful information that will help you become a better steward in your garden.
👩🌾 About the Author
Jennifer is a school librarian, lifelong gardener, Master Gardener, and native plant enthusiast based just outside of Houston, Texas. She’s passionate about creating pollinator-friendly spaces and helping others grow thriving, low-cost native gardens. When she’s not planting bee balm or chasing butterflies with her camera, you can find her sharing tips, plant facts, and practical garden wisdom on her blog, The Twisted Tendril.
