Flowering bee balm (Monarda) in the garden
Planting, Growing, and Caring for Bee Balm Flowers
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Bee balm is a native perennial that flowers in summertime. This plant is beloved by hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies! Learn how to plant and grow bee balm flowers—a great addition to a pollinator garden.
About Bee Balm
Bee balm (Monarda spp.), also called wild bergamot, is known for its attractive scarlet flowers that bloom in the summertime and its fragrant foliage. In June and July, slender, tubular flowers are produced in 2—to 3-inch-wide flower heads. Flower colors include white, pink, red, lavender, and purple.
In the garden, its most frequent visitors are hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies because they have the long tongues required to reach the tubular flowers’ nectar. Bumblebees and a few other insects are too big to get into some of the smaller tubular flowers of some bee balms, so the insects practice something called “nectar robbing.” The insects punch a tiny hole at the base of the flower to access the nectar, bypassing the flower’s pollen and “robbing” it of its nectar. Find more flowers that are great for bees.
The seed heads also attract birds in the fall and winter. Learn more about plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Given its height (2-4 feet), bee balm makes for an excellent background plant in a flower bed. Consider it as part of a pollinator garden!
Check out this video to learn more about the benefits of growing bee balm:
- Monarda didyma is bright red and grows 3 to 4 feet tall.
- M. didyma varieties that are resistant to powdery mildew include ‘Marshall’s Delight’ (bright pink), ‘Jacob Cline’ (deep red), and ‘Raspberry Wine’ (dark red).
- M. fistulosa produces lavender-pink blooms in late summer; tolerant of dry soils; commonly called “wild bergamot.”
- M. pringlei grows 18 inches tall and is immune to powdery mildew. ‘Petite Wonder’ and ‘Petite Delight’ are pink varieties.
Catherine Boeckmann
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I have it in full sun, moist yet it never blooms appears healthy too
The native hummingbirds here seem to love it!
I planted a large clump of Raspberry Wine in my herb garden this spring. We had a lot of rain, so the leaves began to fall off about 2 weeks in. The plant bloomed beautifully, despite the nakedness. We have had extreme heat recently, and the remaining leaves have hung on at the top of the plant. There are a few new leaves developing where another bloom is sprouting, & I deadheaded to that point. Should I cut the remaining stems to the ground? Thank you!
If the stems are unsightly and/or you think they have no life left in them you could cut them down. This tas is usually done in the fall anyway; doing it sooner should not hurt the plant.
I bought my first Bee Balm plant ‘this year and planted it in a big pot. It was doing very well, but no flowers yet. I fertilized it recently, I had not looked up how to care for it yet. I live in the south and it is in the mid 90’s or more right now. The leaves are brown on the edges and I figured it’s from the fertilizer. I started picking those leaves off, but there are so many. What do you suggest?
Leave the plant alone in plenty of sun. Water until the water runs out the bottom and not again until the soil is almost dry,
My bee balm use to be beautiful! It now forms blooms but then turns brown and never matures into a flower. Thank for your suggestions!
I have not had success with Bee Balm. Have tried a couple of times with plants that seem to bloom and develop for two seasons or so, then dry up and completely disappear. Disappointing because I love the plant and the flowers.
I’ve a large area devoted to bee balm plants. I have not had one bee this year and it’s quite concerning me. Is this natural ? Maybe miss a year ? I’ve very worried about the bees.
Tough to know for sure why there aren’t more bees in your area, as it depends on where you’re located, your climate, and what’s nearby. What sort of bees had you been seeing in the past? It could be that there was a domestic honeybee hive located nearby, but now it’s been relocated (or didn’t survive winter). Or perhaps there was more pesticide use on local fields where bees would normally congregate? In any case, we hope they’ll return to your bee balm patch!
