Plant Finder

Other Names:  Bergamot, Oswego Tea

Group/Class:  Bee-You Series

Description:

Vibrant fuchsia flowers with dark brown buttons over lush dark green foliage that has an excellent resistance to powdery mildew; a fascinating addition to the summer garden; attracts pollinators

Ornamental Features

Monarda, Bee True Bee Balm has masses of beautiful clusters of fragrant fuchsia pincushion flowers with dark brown eyes at the ends of the stems from early to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its fragrant pointy leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Monarda, Bee True Bee Balm is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading
• Disease
• Self-Seeding

Monarda, Bee True Bee Balm is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Monarda, Bee True Bee Balm will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 15 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Monarda, Bee True Bee Balm is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Special Attributes

Bee Balm grows best with sun and good air flow to avoid powdery mildew.