After doing a ton of research and experimentation, I believe I have a good handle on bee balm.
Someone asked about red bee balm, why it's purple and not red. Red is Monarda Didymus, a cultivar aka Scarlet Bee Balm. They're in the mint family, so they're very forgiving. I restrict mine to large pots as they're aggressively invasive. I'm putting a few in the ground this fall enclosed by pots with the bottoms cut out.
I always water from the bottom to avoid powdery mildew.
My bee balms are always busy with hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. I keep a few next to my tomatoes, with other squirrel repellent plants, I haven't lost a tomatoe this year.
I grow mine from seed, I have 20 I'm about to plant. I have a shade garden and a sun garden, all focused on hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees - pollinators. My wife thinks I'm crazy, but she is always watching our bee balms with delight!
After doing a ton of research and experimentation, I believe I have a good handle on bee balm.
Someone asked about red bee balm, why it's purple and not red. Red is Monarda Didymus, a cultivar aka Scarlet Bee Balm. They're in the mint family, so they're very forgiving. I restrict mine to large pots as they're aggressively invasive. I'm putting a few in the ground this fall enclosed by pots with the bottoms cut out.
I always water from the bottom to avoid powdery mildew.
My bee balms are always busy with hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. I keep a few next to my tomatoes, with other squirrel repellent plants, I haven't lost a tomatoe this year.
I grow mine from seed, I have 20 I'm about to plant. I have a shade garden and a sun garden, all focused on hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees - pollinators. My wife thinks I'm crazy, but she is always watching our bee balms with delight!