Bee Balm

Plant taxonomy classifies the bee balm plants (or "beebalm") with which I deal here (namely, scarlet or "red" bee balm) as Monarda didyma. "Oswego tea" is another common name. 'Cambridge Scarlet' is a popular cultivar with red flowers. Meanwhile, bee balm plants with lavender flowers are also popular; classified as Monarda fistulosa, they go by the common name "wild bergamot."

Bee balm plants are herbaceous perennials. They are also considered "herbs" in the sense that they have been put to culinary and medicinal uses. Bee balm plants are, indeed, in the mint family; their aromatic leaves have a minty fragrance.

Red bee balm plants produce clusters of scarlet, tubular flowers in mid to late summer. These long-blooming perennials reach 3 feet or more in height.

Red bee balm flowers can be grown in planting zones 4-9. These flowers are indigenous to eastern North America.

Plant bee balm flowers in full sun to partial shade and in a moist but well-drained soil. Use soil amendments such as compost to richen the soil for your bee balm plants.

This will depend on your gardening interests. If you simply enjoy beautiful flowers, then the "spiky hairdo" of bee balm's unusual flower clusters will be its chief selling point. If you seek plants that attract wildlife, then you, too, have a reason to grow this perennial (see below). Herb aficionados, meanwhile, have their own reasons for growing bee balm flowers (see below).

Looking for plants to attract hummingbirds and butterflies? Bee balm is commonly grown for just this purpose. It also attracts bees to help pollinate your other plants.

Bee balm plants are also a useful option in moist spots where other perennials might struggle, as they are fine plants for wet ground. In addition to their employment for aesthetic purposes in the landscape, bee balm plants have culinary and medicinal uses. "Culinary herb growers will love the refreshing, unique taste of bee balm in tea," says Amy Jeanroy. "Medicinally," adds About's Guide to Herb Gardens, "Bee balm is used as a skin wash for rashes and other irritations." Indeed, the pulverized leaves truly can be used as a "balm" to treat bee stings (thus the primary common name).

Divide bee balm plants every few years in early spring to counteract the plants' tendency to spread aggressively. Bee balm is susceptible to powdery mildew, especially in late summer; if your bee balm plants succumb to powdery mildew at this time, it's best to trim them back to the ground and properly dispose of the cut growth. Deadhead bee balm flowers to promote re-blooming.