Are there different types of bee balm plants?

Types of Bee Balm

Monarda didyma: This variety of bee balm grows up to 3 or 4 feet tall and produces bright red blooms. Monarda pringlei: A smaller variety, these plants only reach a height of about 18 inches tall. It is often seen with red or pink blooms. Monarda fistulosa: This variety is often found growing wild.

What is the difference between bee balm and Monarda?

Bee balm, also known as Monarda (Monarda spp.), is a well-known flower and herb throughout North America. Its colorful blooms are like a slow-motion, multi-month fireworks display that captures the attention of people, bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds each summer.

Is bergamot same as bee balm?

Monarda fistulosa

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.

Are there different colors of bee balm?

A perennial favorite native to North America, bee balm (Monarda spp.), also called wild bergamot, is beloved in flower beds for its display of beautiful blooms of red, pink, purple or white in mid- to late summer.

Does bee balm need to be cut back?

Cut Back: Bee Balm

Cutting back this plant that sports red, pink or deep purple flowers keeps it healthy for hummingbirds and butterflies that flock to it in mid-summer. Trim bee balm (monarda) down to the soil to discourage problems such as mildew.

What should I plant in front of bee balm?

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. It looks best when allowed to grow in groups to create a vivid color statement.

Is there a blue bee balm?

Blue Stocking Bee Balm is a vibrantly colored violet-blue Monarda, blooming for several months beginning in mid-summer.

Should you Deadhead bee balm?

When bee balm blooms droop and wilt, the blooming process is halted, allowing seeds to grow. Regular deadheading transfers the energy that goes into producing seeds to the formation of more flowers and continuous blossoming. You should definitely deadhead your bee balm if you want to encourage more blossoming.

Does bee balm like sun or shade?

full sun
Growing bee balm plants isn’t hard, if you keep their soil evenly moist. Plant monarda in spring or fall in a spot that gets full sun. 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.

Are bergamot and Monarda the same?

The herb bergamot is known by the botanical name of Monarda didyma. It is commonly referred to by its English name of bergamot or bee balm (because of its tendency to attract bees).

What does Monarda look like?

Also known by its botanical name of Monarda, bee balm is very attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The bee balm flower has an open, daisy-like shape, with tubular petals in shades of red, pink, purple, and white.

Is bee balm in Earl GREY tea?

It is not. The Bergamot Oil added to Earl Grey is Citrus bergamia, an entirely different plant. Bee Balm is used as a tea, for both medicinal effects and for a pleasant flavor.

How many varieties of bee balm are there?

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.

Does bee balm repel mosquitoes?

Beloved for its ability to beckon bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, bee balm (Monarda) also earns rave reviews for its mosquito-repelling qualities.

Should I deadhead bee balm?

When bee balm blooms droop and wilt, the blooming process is halted, allowing seeds to grow. Regular deadheading transfers the energy that goes into producing seeds to the formation of more flowers and continuous blossoming. You should definitely deadhead your bee balm if you want to encourage more blossoming.

What is the tallest variety of bee balm?

There are two dominant species of Monarda in the garden trade. Monarda didyma is a red-flowered variety that’s native to Minnesota. This species can grow up to 6 feet tall, and because of the red flowers, it is very popular with hummingbirds. It’s 2 to 4-inch flowers have many tubular shaped petals.

What month does bee balm bloom?

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.