Bee Balm

Bee balm, also known as Monarda, is a captivating flowering plant that holds immense value for pollinators and gardening enthusiasts alike. This native perennial boasts vibrant, showy flowers in shades of red, pink, purple, and white, which serve as magnets for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Beyond its visual appeal, bee balm has a refreshing aroma. Its nectar-rich blooms provide a vital food source for pollinators, while its fragrant leaves can be used for herbal teas and culinary purposes. Easy to grow and maintain, bee balm thrives in sunny locations with well-drained soil.

By incorporating bee balm into your garden, you not only enhance its beauty but also create a haven for pollinators and indulge in the wonders of nature.

A note on origin: scarlet bee balm grows wild in the Appalachians and upstate New York, not on Long Island, where it is a garden plant that sometimes escapes. Its lavender cousin wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is the Monarda you will find growing wild here, and it feeds the same bees and hummingbird moths.

Quick facts

• Also called Oswego tea; the Oswego people taught colonists to brew its leaves, and it became a tea substitute after the Boston Tea Party.
• Its tubular flowers are sized for long-tongued bees and hummingbird bills.
• Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), its lavender-flowered cousin, is more drought tolerant.

How to grow it

• Give it air circulation to limit powdery mildew.
• Divide clumps every few years.
• Deadhead for a second flush of bloom.