Nothing creates a
buzz in the garden like Monarda. Butterflies, hummingbirds and bees
are drawn to this aromatic perennial and its nectar rich flowers
- hence its common name, Bee Balm. The foliage of Monarda
has a very strong mint like fragrance and was once used as a tea
substitute. The vibrant, tubular shaped flowers come in shades
of red, pink, purple and white and plant sizes range from a dwarfed
10 inches to as tall as 3 feet. Monarda plants begin blooming
just as summer begins and with regular deadheading will bloom all
summer long. Plants are very easy to grow, being a member
of the mint family it is a considered to be very vigorous.
Growing Monarda Plants:
Monarda prefers to grow in consistently moist soil receiving full
sun or afternoon shade. Plants will grow in partial shade
but at the expense of flowering. Soil should be amended heavily
with organic materials such as compost and well rotted manure.
One mistake we often see is overcrowding new plants - space the
taller varieties at least 30 inches apart and the smaller dwarf
types (Petite Delight) 12 inches apart. Feed plants
in early spring with a top dressing of composted manure and bone
meal, feed again in mid summer with a compost tea or fish emulsion
drench. After plants have finished flowering an foliage begins
to decline cut the plants all the way back to the ground - this
hard pruning will often result in a second round of flowering. Monardas
are very vigorous growers and will need to be divided every three years
to keep them looking their best.
Monarda - Bee
Balm
Zones: 4-9
Propagation: division and stem stem cuttings
Problems: Powdery mildew can be a problem see notes
Notes: In hot humid conditions powdery mildew
can become a problem. Plants that stay consistently moist and are
never allowed to wilt are less susceptible to this fungus.
If you must spray the plants we recommend the organic approach:
spray all parts of plant including
underside of leaves with a diluted milk mixture = 1 part milk to
4 parts water.
(mo-nar'
da)
