Illustration of Monarda didyma by Mary Vaux Walcott (1925). [Public Domain]
Genus: Monarda
Common Names: bee balm, bergamot
Description coming soon.
Distribution: North America
Our Selection
Monarda austroappalachiana
Common name(s): Appalachian bee balm, white bee balm
Description: perennial; a species found by the Ocoee River in Tennessee and only recently described in 2015 . Lower in stature than most monardas with pure white flowers in summer. Foliage is flushed with gorgeous shades of burgundy in colder weather. Performs best with morning sun and afternoon shade. A hummingbird magnet.
Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 2 ft.
Monarda bradburiana
Common name(s): eastern bee balm
Description: perennial; a low-growing species native to the eastern U.S. Pale pink flowers bloom in early spring and attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. Performs best with morning sun and afternoon shade.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline'
Common name(s): red-flowered bee balm, scarlet bee balm
Description: perennial; the most popular red-flowered bee balm on the market. Discovered near the Blue Ridge Parkway by Georgia plantswoman, Jean Cline, and named for her son; introduced by Saul Nursery of Alpharetta, Georgia. Favored for it's long-blooming scarlet flowers and resistance to disease. Performs best with morning sun and afternoon shade.
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Monarda fistulosa 'Tetraploid'
Common name(s): rose bee balm, rose-scented bee balm, Manitoba monarda
Description: perennial; a rare, tetraploid form of M. fistulosa indetified in the forests of Manitoba sometime around the early 1990s. More vigorous than the species with larger leaves and larger, longer-lasting flowers. Even more excitingly, it has a very high geraniol content and has been suggested as a substitute for rose geranium. Pleasant, rose-scented foliage and lavender pink flowers in summer. Performs best with morning sun, afternoon shade, and with sufficient air circulation not too close to other plantings.
Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Monarda fistulosa var. menthifolia
Common name(s): mint-scented bee balm, wild bergamot
Description: perennial; a widespread species native to most of central and western North America. Aromatic, mint-scented foliage and large lavender-pink flowers in late spring and summer. One of the most commonly used monardas in traditional medicine and for culinary purposes. Performs best with morning sun and afternoon shade.
Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.