Key Features
- Produces colorful tubular flowers in mixed shades such as red, pink, purple, and lavender.
- Upright herbaceous perennial with attractive foliage and branching stems.
- Excellent for cottage gardens, flower borders, pollinator gardens, and naturalized landscapes.
- Performs best in full sun to partial shade with rich, well-drained soil.
- A favorite ornamental for attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to the garden.
Growing Benefits
- Adds vibrant mixed colors and vertical interest to garden beds.
- Creates a welcoming habitat for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
- Perennial growth provides recurring seasonal garden interest.
- Works beautifully in cottage gardens, borders, and pollinator plantings.
- Aromatic foliage adds extra sensory appeal to the garden.
Seed Specifications
- Common Name: Bee Balm, Scarlet Bee Balm, Oswego Tea
- Botanical Name: Monarda didyma
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Colors: Red, pink, purple, and lavender
- Height: Approximately two to four feet
- Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
- Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained soil
- Water: Regular and consistent; avoid allowing soil to dry excessively
- Germination Time: Approximately ten to twenty-one days under favorable conditions
- Sowing Depth: Surface sow or cover very lightly
- Spacing: Approximately eighteen to twenty-four inches
- Growing Zones: USDA Zones four through nine
- Flowering/Maturity: Typically flowers during summer after establishment
- Uses: Pollinator gardens, cottage gardens, flower borders, naturalized plantings, and ornamental landscapes
Growing Tips
- Choose a location with good sunlight and moist, well-drained soil.
- Press seeds gently onto the soil surface because light can help support germination.
- Keep the seedbed consistently moist until seedlings become established.
- Provide good airflow around plants to help reduce the risk of foliar diseases.
Seed Storage
Store unused seeds in a cool, dry, dark location. Keep them sealed in their original packet or an airtight container away from humidity, heat, and direct sunlight.
Unique Facts About Seeds
- Monarda didyma belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae.
- Bee balm gets its common name from its appeal to bees and other pollinators.
- The flowers are arranged in dense, rounded clusters at the tops of upright stems.
- The foliage has a naturally aromatic scent when crushed.