Bee Balm: A Beautiful Perennial Flower for Attracting Butterflies

Bee balm is an easy to grow perennial flower that attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees to the garden with its bright red or purple blooms from June through August.

Native Americans used it as a stomach remedy

The plant is a native of eastern North America and clumps grow three or four feet tall. Bee balm goes by various names including "Oswego Tea", wild bergamot, and horsemint. The scientific name is Monarda didyma.

The small, trumpet shaped blooms grow in three inch wide clumps at the end of stems 36 inches long. When fully open the distinctive, colorful flowers look almost like they are exploding upward into small star bursts.

Bee balm is a reliable perennial in USDA hardiness zones four through nine though it dies down to the ground in winter, meaning it can survive winters down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The clumps have a tendency to spread, but become invasive pests only occasionally. Bee balm clumps should be divided about every three years to keep them blooming vigorously. You can make new plants in the spring by cutting out some of the side shoots that have roots and planting to make new clumps.

In addition to trimming out dead foliage in the spring, the plant may need occasional light pruning and benefits from removal of old, spent blossoms. Fertilize one a month with a light feeding of liquid fertilizer or manure tea.

Bee balm is easy to grow

Bee balm is available from garden centers in six inch pots or larger. More varieties are available from mail order nurseries. Plant them in the back or middle of the beds in half shade. Spacing should be two three feet apart. Good air circulation reduces the chances of disease. Bee balm can also be started from seeds planted in the fall or early in the spring.

The flower is a relative of spearmint with square stems and needs a fair amount of moisture. Like mint, the foliage has a pleasant smell. The plant tolerates occasional wetness but prefers rich, well-drained soil with a neutral pH. It was used by the Native Americans as a tea, and digestive ailments. It can be substituted in some recipes for spearmint.

The most common pests for bee balm are aphids which can be controlled with insecticidal soap or a chemical spray containing Malathion. Snails and slugs are sometimes a problem. Diseases include powdery mildew and rust. Any part of the plant showing disease should be immediately removed and discarded.

Bee balm gets its name from its ability to attract bees and other pollinators such as butterflies. Growing near vegetables and fruit trees may improve pollination in nearby plants according to some sources.

Noteworthy varieties of monarda include "Panorama Red" and "Marshall's Delight".