Plant Details
Monarda Bradburiana
Common name: Bee Balm
A mint family member with pinkish to whitish, purple-spotted flowers in dense heads at the top of square stems. Each flower head rests on a whorl of showy, purplish, leafy bracts. Flowers attract bees and butterflies when they bloom in May and June. The aromatic gray-green leaves may be used in teas.
Culture:
Grows well in full sun or light shade in dry soil. Unlike other members of the Mint family, Bee Balm stays in a clump instead of by spreading by rhizomes.
Use:
Plant in the perennial border, native garden, butterfly garden, edge of woodland or prairie.
Height:
12 to 24 inches
Spread:
22 to 24 inches
Color:
Light Pink
USDA Hardiness Zone:
5 - 8
Good Companion Plants
- Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
- Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
- Foxglove Beard Tongue (Penstemon digitalis)
Characteristics and Attributes
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Medium Sun/Average Shade
Season of Interest:
Mid (May - June)
Soil Moisture:
Average
Wildlife Benefit:
Butterfly Nectar
Special Uses:
Fragrant
Nature Attracting:
Butterfly
Hummingbird
