Table of Contents
Bee Balm genus name Monarda width To 2 feet wide flower color Purple Red White Pink foliage color Blue/Green season features Fall Bloom Summer Bloom.
How many colors does bee balm have?
There are over 15 species and over 50 different cultivars of bee balm that grow both wild and in gardens. Colors range from bright red to lilac to shades of pink and white. Monarda didyma is the variety I grow in my perennial garden bed. It is also known as Scarlet Bee Balm, Oswego Tea, and Crimson Bee Balm.
What are the different colors of bee balm?
Monarda or bee balm is a perennial that is native to North America. The plant produces beautiful flowers in purple, red, pink or white. The green foliage of bee balm is also scented.
Is there a blue bee balm?
Compact, Monarda ‘Blue Moon’ (Bee Balm) is a clump-forming perennial boasting lavender blue flowers, 2 in. across (5 cm), borne in dense, globular terminal heads. Blooming for weeks from mid to late summer, they rest upon a whorl of decorative purple bracts and attract scores of butterflies and hummingbirds.
Is there a purple bee balm?
USDA Hardiness Planting Zones (10-12″ tall x 12-15″ wide) Loved by bees, hummingbirds, and pollinators, ‘Balmy™ Purple’ Bee Balm blooms from late spring to mid-summer, dazzling all with its signature shaggy-topped flowers in vibrant magenta-purple.
Why did my bee balm change color?
Although you can start new plants from seeds that you harvest yourself, the color of the flower blooms can change because bee balm has a tendency to revert back to its wild form.
How do you keep bee balm blooming?
Bee balm (Monarda) begin to bloom in July and will continue to bloom throughout late summer. To encourage bountiful clusters of flowers, you will want to deadhead the plant throughout its entire bloom time. As the flowers begin to wilt and fade, cut just above the next flower bud.
Does bee balm like sun or shade?
Bee balm tolerates partial sun, but you’ll get fewer flowers. Space monarda plants 18 to 24 inches apart in organically rich soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.7 that drains easily. Bee balm needs good air circulation to help prevent powdery mildew, a common fungal disease.
What can I plant next to bee balm?
Companion Planting and Design Bee balm is a perfect cottage garden plant. I like to let it ramble though a perennial flower border next to tall garden phlox, rudbeckia, roses, and peonies.
Are there different types of bee balm?
Beebalms/Lower classifications.
Can I grow bee balm from seed?
Direct seed: Sow from early spring up until 8 weeks before the first frost in the fall. Sow about one seed per inch in rows 18″ apart. Thin to 12-18″ apart. DISEASE: Bee balm is very susceptible to powdery mildew, which is exacerbated by humidity and any kind of plant stress, even drought.
Why is my bee balm turning black?
The most common problem with bee balm is a foliage disease called powdery mildew. That is a good name for it, because the leaves look like they have been dusted with powder. Unfortunately, leaves will turn brown and drop or be deformed.
What does purple bee balm look like?
Compact and early flowering, Monarda ‘Balmy Purple’ (Bee Balm) is a clump-forming perennial which produces bright purple flowers, borne in dense, globular terminal heads. Blooming for weeks from late spring through summer, they rest upon a whorl of decorative bracts and attract scores of butterflies and hummingbirds.
What is bee balm good for?
Bee balm is antimicrobial and soothing, so it’s often used to treat colds and flu. It also has a soothing effect on the digestive tract and helps to treat indigestion, bloating and nausea.
Does bee balm attract wasps?
Wild bergamot is one of several plants also known by the common name of bee balm. Wild bergamot attracts a number of specialist bees, bumble bees, predatory wasps, hummingbirds, and hawk moths.
How long does bee balm take to flower?
110-120 days Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial Red, pink, light to dark purple Bloom Time / Season: Summer Average Exposure: Full sun to partial shade 6.0-7.0 Time to Maturity: 110-120 days Well-draining Spacing: 18-24 inches Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds.
What does bee balm attract?
Bee balm is a great addition to a pollinator garden. The flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees; and the seed heads will attract birds in the fall and winter. Learn more about plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Why is my bee balm short?
The most common problem is a lack of sun. Bee balm thrives in full sun, and most varieties need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day in order to bloom well. Another common problem with bee balm is improper water or humidity. The plants like moderate irrigation – during periods of drought, water deeply once per week.
Do hummingbirds like bee balm?
Keep the soil surrounding bee balm moist but not soggy. This perennial plant produces vivid cardinal-colored flowers in the summer months. The bright red color of the flowers and the sweet nectar they contain attract hummingbirds in droves.
Can you pinch off bee balm?
Bee Balm Care Provide a good, multi-purpose fertilizer, and work it into the soil around the bee balm plant. If you want a bushier plant, pinch off the stem tips as new growth appears in the early spring. In late fall, cut the bee balm down to just a few inches (5 to 10 cm.) tall.
Is there an orange bee balm?
Bergamot was identified in the sixteenth century by the Spanish medical botanist Nicolas de Monardes, whose name is used to identify this genus of plants. Bergamot gets its name from the similarity it has in aroma to the bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia).
Do birds eat bee balm seeds?
But birds don’t only enjoy Bee Balm in summer. The nutlet is a large, hard-shelled seed that forms when the flowers turn into seed. The nutlet attracts finches, sparrows, juncos, redpolls, among other species.
How tall does Beebalm grow?
Growth Habit: Bee balm can grow up to 4 ft tall with a spread of 3-4 ft, but dwarf varieties top out at just 15 inches, with a spread of 18-24 inches.
