Monarda
Monarda is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. The genus is endemic to North America. Common names include bee balm, horsemint, oswego tea, and bergamot, the latter inspired by the fragrance of the leaves, which is reminiscent of bergamot orange. The genus was …
Does bee balm need full sun?
Though bee balm can handle partial shade, it thrives best if it receives at least six hours of full sun daily. Too much shade is known to make the plant leggy, and can often reduce the number or vibrancy of its blooms. However, bee balm plants grown in hotter, dry climates will do best if sheltered from the afternoon sun.
What are bees favorite color?
What Colors Attract Bees?
- Scents. What attracts bees more than anything else are scents. ...
- Plants and Flowers. Almost every bee thrives upon a plant or a flower as they’re their primary food sources. ...
- Colors. Bees are attracted towards multiple colors, but favorite among them is yellow. ...
- Herbs. Another bee attractor on our list is herbs. ...
- Light. ...
- Sweat. ...
- Food. ...
What are bee balm Panorama red shades?
Monarda didyma 'Panorama Red Shades' - Bee Balm, Beebalm. Both the flowers and the foliage are fragrant! The First Separate Monarda Color. Super resistance to Powdery Mildew! At last, a single-color Bee Balm that will come true from seed! Red Shades wowed us in grower trials, both with its ultra-colorful, frizzy 1 1/4- to 1 3/4-inch blooms and its great resistance to Powdery Mildew!
What does a bee balm flower look like?
The spotted Bee Balm flower, scientific name Monarda fruticulosa, is found exclusively in southern Texas. It is usually 1-3 inches tall, with sparingly spread unbranched leafy stems. The flowers are cream colored and grow in tall bunches. The flower has an upper lip and a lower lip, both of which are long and narrow.
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How tall is a bee balm plant?
Most varieties of the bee balm plant are between 2 to 4 feet tall but there are also dwarf varieties less than 10 inches high. Bee balm is also attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It is also a natural source of the antiseptic compound thymol, the primary active ingredients in some modern commercial mouthwash formulas.
What is the botanical name for bee balm?
Bee balm also known by its botanical name of Monarda is a perennial flowering herb in the mint family. It consists of square stem, slender, serrated oppositely arranged leaves and creeping rhizomes that spread rapidly under the soil. The flowers are tubular and bilaterally symmetric with a narrow upper lip and a wider lower lip.
What is a Monarda wine bee balm?
Monarda vintage wine bee balm consists of masses of dark, wine red flowers, borne in dense, globular terminal heads. It grows in clumps of upright stems, up to 3 feet tall and performs best in full sun or partial shade in moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Flowers of this variety rest upon a whorl of decorative bracts and blooms for weeks from mid-summer to early fall. The blooms also attract butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden. This Monarda is typically resistant to powdery mildew.
How tall is Scarlet Bee Balm?
Scarlet Bee Balm (Monarda Didyma) Scarlet bee balm also referred to as the crimson beebalm, scarlet monarda or Oswego tea grows to 0.7-1.5 m in height, with the stems square in cross-section. The leaves are opposite on the square stems and dark green with reddish leaf veins and a coarsely toothed margin.
How tall does basil bee balm grow?
Basil Bee Balm also referred to as white bergamot grow up to 12 inches in height. The leaves are lanceolate to oblong, tapering at both ends with small hairs and small teeth. Flowers are born in small glomerules (clumps) of pink or purple flowers and green bracts, born in the axils of the upper leaves.
When does Eastern bee balm bloom?
Eastern bee balm blooms for at least 4 weeks in late spring and attracts a stream of butterflies and hummingbirds and other beneficial pollinators to the garden. This bee balm variety is resistant to powdery mildew, deer and rabbit.
When does purple lace bee balm bloom?
Purple lace bee balm consists of deep purple-red flowers, borne in dense, globular terminal heads. Blooming for weeks from mid-summer to early fall, they rest upon a whorl of decorative purple bracts. This variety grows well in full sun or partial shade in moderately fertile, humus, moist but well-drained soil.
How many varieties of bee balm are there?
On top of the various species that we just learned about, there are about 50 different cultivars of the Bee Balm plant; some of these occur naturally, while others are manually cultivated to extract the best results. Here are some of the most popular ones.
How tall does basil bee balm grow?
This is an annual herb that can grow taller than 30cm in height, producing bunched pink or purple flowers with green bracts on their upper leaves.
What is the name of the flower that attracts bees?
Attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your gardens and lawns while adding a variety of colors by growing any of the different types of bee balm flowers. Bee Balm is the common name for plants belonging to the Monarda genus, which contains at least 21 different species of flowering herbs. These flowers can be found in a variety ...
Why do bee balms grow horizontally?
If enough sun is not provided to the plant, it grows horizontally and does not produce many flowers. Bee Balm flowers are usually planted in flower beds to attract pollinating insects and those who prey on garden pests. Source: American Meadows.
What color are lilies?
The flowers are cream colored and grow in tall bunches. The flower has an upper lip and a lower lip, both of which are long and narrow. The flower can occur in pink, lavender, or nearly white varieties with several leafy bracts underneath each whorl.
Where does lemon bee balm grow?
It is a hardy plant that grows flowers annually or biannually; typically in rocky prairies and dry pastures from South Carolina to the west of Missouri.
What color are hybrid flowers?
The color range can be anywhere between warm reds and cool blues. It is interesting that the seeds obtained from hybrid cultivars do not produce plants identical to parents.
How to encourage bee balm to bloom?
Since these plants are prolific bloomers, continually cut and deadhead the flowers to encourage the plant to produce more. Planting bee balm in full sun will also encourage more blooming.
What is bee balm good for?
As suggested by its name, bee balm plants are known for attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Even when the plant is not flowering, the seed heads will attract birds throughout the winter. Their vibrant flower heads are full of tubular petals that appear in pink, purple, red, and white varieties.
Why is my bee balm turning brown?
This fungal disease is common among bee balms and can cause brown, wilted foliage that is covered in a gray powder. It often appears when there is high humidity and poor air circulation. To prevent this, be sure to keep plants well ventilated by pruning, dividing, and weeding. Water at ground level to avoid getting the foliage wet. If powdery mildew appears, treat it with a fungicide or other home remedy. Be sure to remove any fallen foliage. In fall, prune away all the affected stems and discard them.
Why is my bee balm not blooming?
This can be caused by a variety of factors, including too much humidity, not enough sunlight, over-fertilizing, or old age. If the plant is experiencing too much humidity, be sure to provide it with the best airflow possible. It may not require as much water. If it is growing in a shady location, try moving it to a sunnier location. If it is over-fertilized, cut back on fertilizer until more blooms appear. If old age is causing the plant to fade out, divide the plant to lengthen its life and encourage thick, new growth.
How to propagate bee balm?
Bee balm can be propagated through division and cuttings. The plant’s prolific nature makes division the easiest propagation method. This will also help to keep the plant healthy and full and should be done every few years. To do this, you will need a shovel, a pair of garden snips, compost or fertilizer, and gloves. Then follow the instructions below, depending on the propagation method you choose.
Is bee balm hardy?
Bee balms are very hardy, handling very cold and very hot temperatures in USDA growing zones 3 to 9. However, these plants do not fare well in high humidity conditions, as this can increase the incidence of powdery mildew.
Can bee balm be grown in shade?
Full sunlight is best for bee balm plants. They can be grown in parti al shade, particularly in areas with intense summer heat. However, plants grown in partial shade may develop a leggy, stretched look and will not flower as vigorously.
How tall is bee balm?
Given its height (2-4 feet), bee balm makes for an excellent background plant in a pollinator garden.
What is bee balm?
Here’s how to plant and grow bee balm in your garden! 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 powdery?
Powdery mildew: Powdery mildew commonly occurs on the foliage of bee balm if humidity is too high. Reduce watering if this is the case.
What is the color of the purple bee balm?
The vivid magenta blooms of 'Balmy™ Purple' Bee Balm will be abuzz with activity as butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds gather to sip abundant nectar. Attractive disease-resistan...
What is the scent of bee balm?
A classic American native and cottage garden favorite, Bee balm is beloved by gardeners not only for its beautiful whorled blooms in red, pink, purple and white; but for the evocative fragrance given off by foliage warmed by the sun or touched by the gardener. And it’s just as beloved by wildlife as it is by gardeners.
What was the practice of using bee balm as a tea?
In early Revolutionary days in America, the practice of using it as a tea was adopted by colonialists unable to buy black tea from England. To learn more about the plants we sell and how to grow them in your garden beds and patio containers, sign up for our inspiring emails. Shop Bee Balm Plants.
What is the color of Jacob Cline?
Loved by both gardeners and hummingbirds, crimson red crown-shaped blooms appear on tall, herbaceous plants in mid summer. Its fragrant foliage and tolerance of pests, mildew and clay soils make 'Jacob Cline' a true favorite in the perennial bed. Deer resistant.
How to keep bee balm moist?
Sometimes even a sprinkling of good soil will suffice in a pinch; however, a two-inch layer of organic material such as well-rotted manure, compost, or double-shred hardwood will preserve the moisture bee balm loves in order to stay beautiful.
What type of soil does bee balm prefer?
Soil: Bee balm does best in evenly moist soil rich in organic matter. It can tolerate lighter soil, but richer soil will encourage taller, stronger specimens. Boggy conditions are not tolerated, nor are soils that are allowed to dry out for long periods of time.
How tall does bee balm grow?
How to Grow Bee Balm Throughout the Season. 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. Staking: Taller cultivars of bee balm occasionally need staking, but usually the strong square stems do a good job of keeping it upright ...