Growing Bee Balm for Long-Lasting Summer Blooms

Flowering bee balm (Monarda) in the garden

Photo Credit
Tatyana Mut/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Monarda spp.
Plant Type
Flowers
USDA Zones
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Special Features
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Songbirds
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Bee balm is a native North American clump-forming perennial that blooms in summer and lights up the garden with colorful, nectar-rich flowers and fragrant foliage. This easy-to-care-for plant is beloved by hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and hummingbird moths—making it a standout choice for pollinator and native plant gardens. 

Learn how to plant, grow, and care for bee balm, including tips for preventing powdery mildew and choosing native varieties such as wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) known for its lavender-pink tubular flowers, and scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma) known for its red blossoms.

Flowers appear in 2- to 3-inch-wide heads from June through July, with colors ranging from white and pink to red, lavender, and purple. The flowers’ tubular shape makes them especially attractive to long-tongued pollinators, including hummingbirds and native bees. Find more flowers that are great for bees,

Pollinator Value

In the garden, bee balm is visited most often by hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and hummingbird moths, all of which can reach the nectar deep inside the tubular flowers.  See more flowers to attract butterflies and hummingbirds! 

Bumblebees and a few other insects are too big to get into some of the smaller tubular flowers of some bee balms, so the insects practice something called “nectar robbing.” The insects bite small holes at the base of the flowers to reach nectar without pollinating the plant. While fascinating to observe, this behavior does not significantly harm the plant.

After flowering, seed heads attract birds in fall and winter, extending bee balm’s value beyond the growing season. See 12 plants with seed heads for the birds.

bee balm flower with a pollinator, a hummingbird moth
Hummingbird moths love bee balm!

Garden Design Use

Growing 2 to 4 feet tall, bee balm works well as a background or mid-border plant in flower beds and native plantings. Its bold flowers pair beautifully with coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, phlox, and ornamental grasses.

Bee balm is especially effective in:

Check out this video to learn more about the benefits of growing bee balm:

Read Next

Planting

Where to Plant Bee Balm

Bee balm grows best in full sun (at least 6 hours daily). While it tolerates partial shade, plants grown with less sun:

  • produce fewer flowers
  • are more prone to powdery mildew

Provide moist, well-draining soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Improve heavy or poor soil with compost or aged manure before planting.

When to Plant Bee Balm

  • Plant bee balm in spring or fall
  • Spring is the best time to divide and transplant established plants

How to Plant Bee Balm

Good air circulation is essential to prevent disease.

  • Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart
  • Water thoroughly after planting
  • Avoid overcrowding, which encourages powdery mildew

Growing

How to Care for Bee Balm

  • Keep soil evenly moist, especially during dry spells
  • Water every 7 to 10 days, soaking soil 6 to 8 inches deep
  • Apply mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds

Fertilizing

  • Bee balm generally does not need fertilizer. Too much nitrogen encourages leafy growth at the expense of flowers and increases disease risk.
  • Avoid fertilizer in general; apply only a sprinkling of a balanced product in spring, if desired.

Pruning & Deadheading

Dividing

Divide bee balm every 2 to 3 years to maintain vigor. (Clumps tend to die out from the center.)

Types

  • Monarda didyma (scarlet bee balm): bright red flowers; 3–4 feet tall. Mildew-resistant cultivars include:
    • ‘Marshall’s Delight’ (pink)
    • ‘Jacob Cline’ (deep red)
    • ‘Raspberry Wine’ (dark red)
  • Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot): Native wildflower with lavender-pink blooms; late summer flowering; drought-tolerant once established
  • Monarda pringlei: compact; grow to 18 inches, highly mildew-resistant
    • ‘Petite Wonder’
    • ‘Petite Delight’ (pink)

pink bee balm flowers

Harvesting

Bee balm makes an excellent cut flower. Its aromatic leaves add fragrance to indoor arrangements.

  • Cut flowers just as they begin to open
  • Side shoots will continue blooming
  • Vase life—about 7 days

Gardening Products

Pests/Diseases

Diseases

Pests

Wit and Wisdom

  • The name bee balm comes from its historical use as a soothing treatment for bee stings.
  • Native Americans and early colonists used bee balm leaves and flowers to make medicinal salves, teas, and drinks.
  • A traditional tea made from bee balm was known as Oswego tea, named after a Native American word for a river in present-day New York.
  • Bee balm belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae) and has fragrant foliage that’s sometimes used in herbal teas, salads, and garnishes. The flowers are edible, too.
  • Despite its name, wild bergamot bee balm is not the source of the bergamot flavor in Earl Grey tea, which comes from the rind of the bergamot orange, a citrus fruit.

Flowers
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the website companion of The Old Farmer's Almanac. She covers gardening, plants, pest control, soil composition, seasonal and moon c...
Read More from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Dennis And Dan…</span> Tue, 08/13/2024 - 10:00
My bee balm is so leggy! The stems are about 3 feet long before any leaves or flowers.
<span>Ann Hodges</span> Fri, 06/28/2024 - 16:43
WILL THE BBEN BLAMS COME UP EVERY YEAR? WHAT IF YOU BRING IN THE POTTED PLANT IN THE WINTER. WILL IT SURRIVE? LOVE THIS PANTS. IT'S SUCH A HOT SPOT IN THE GARDEN
<span>Heather Hedrick</span> Sun, 07/07/2024 - 16:56
Bee balm is a perennial plant.It will come back year after year
<span>Patricia Hunger</span> Sun, 06/23/2024 - 11:59
Thanks for the great info I live in Allegheny forest and I've been looking for that flower it's a beautiful plant
<span>Nassim Rad</span> Sat, 06/15/2024 - 15:58
Excellent, thank you for your efforts.
<span>Linda Horton</span> Sat, 05/04/2024 - 09:49
I just bought a gallon size of bee balm. Is it best to just put the clump of it right into the ground or should I take it apart and plant individual plants. It is only abour 3 inches high so far.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 05/06/2024 - 08:04

Hi Linda, you could plant it either way. However, I would personally recommend breaking it into a few smaller chunks so that the plants do not crowd each other as they grow.

 <span>Olinda</span> Thu, 04/18/2024 - 10:20
This looks nothing like what I have known as bee balm in Texas all my life. Bee Balm to me is a wildflower which is purple and shaped differently for what is picture. It is either an annual or dies down and come back the next year...not sure which. I would like to know if there is any relationship between what you show and what I'm familiar with. I would appreciate a response.
<span>Mary Colwell</span> Thu, 04/18/2024 - 08:54
The wild bee balm (M fistulosa) is a favorite flower for the federally endangered rusty-patched bumble bee.
<span>Patty</span> Sat, 09/16/2023 - 10:21
bee balm gets mildew no matter what you do. I have a few plants that get tall and they are very pretty but oh the mildew.