Perhaps the most commonly cultivated variety, M. didyma, boasts bright red tufted blossoms with tubular petals. Bee Balm is considered a perennial and if not over-harvested will produce scarlet clusters of flowers for several years. Bee balm is in the mint family, and absolutely lives up to the family name. Read more about this in our guide to controlling bee balm (coming soon!). Grown mainly for its showy flowers, bee balm blooms in summer in shades of white, yellow, pink, red or purple. Sow seeds one inch apart after the last frost. I live in Eastern WA and my soil is pretty sandy altho the spot where I have bee balm has been super-amended, it does seem to spread a little but I wouldn't consider it invasive. Supplemental watering is suggested if spring rains are poor. Once you have the root clump loosened enough, you should be able to slide under the roots with your shovel and pry up the clump. However, I find they transplant more readily if I wait until they’ve had a bit of time to grow strong roots and a wet season is about to begin. Check your local listings for frost dates in your area. In other words, hybrids are not true to seed. 4 months ago. The Bee balm flower – also referred to as monarda – is relatively easy to grow from seeds, cuttings, and root divisions. I’m ok with it. Keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds germinate. Bee Balm is a member of the mint family, but lacks the “runner” quality so it does not spread in the garden like the other mints. But an awful lot of bee balm varieties are naturally-growing wildflowers in the United States. When the plant reaches a height of about 12 inches or so, it’s a good idea to pinch the top of the leaves to stop it from growing upwards. Quickly taking over an area if left to their own devices, their shallow root systems are also easily dug, or pulled up. How to Grow Bee Balm Throughout the Season. By digging up your Monarda and dividing it, you can restore mature plants to good health, giving them more room to grow and providing new plants that you can give to friends and neighbors if you wish. And although it doesn’t need a lot of help spreading to nearby places in your garden beds via underground rhizomes, sometimes it can use a little help in terms of rejuvenating older plants, which tend to become crowded and lose their vigor with age. With its gorgeous long-blooming, unique display of flowers that are reminiscent of fireworks, it’s natural to want to spread bee balm around. The best time to take divisions is in early spring, just as the new shoots start sprouting out of the soil. Bee balm, also known as monarda, Oswego tea, horsemint and bergamont, is a member of the mint family that produces vibrant, wide summer flowers in white, pink, red and purple. It grows 2-4 feet high with scarlet flowers that bloom for up to 8 weeks and attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. Growth Habit: Bee balm can grow up to 4 ft tall with a spread of 3-4 ft, but dwarf varieties top out at just 15 inches, with a spread of 18-24 inches. Monarda likes moist conditions, but this plant doesn’t appreciate wet feet. And dividing perennials also gives them a little extra room to spread, improving overall plant health. Their rhizomes can easily spread a foot in a season! Pieces taken from a parent plant grow into clones with an identical genetic makeup and associated characteristics. So now that you know more about controlling monarda plants, there’s no need to worry about them becoming out of hand in your garden. In fact, the plant can become invasive and spread every year with the right growing season. Each section should have at least 2 or 3 shoots and a good root system. Blooming for weeks from mid to late summer, they rest upon a whorl of decorative bracts and attract scores of butterflies and hummingbirds. A native wildflower hybridized for gardens, the flowers of bee balm are at their peak in summer. Bee balm is very tenacious, and ought to take hold. This is generally how I propagate my bee balm plants. It will intensively spread over a season via a mat of underground stems (stolons), but can be kept under control by regular digging and dividing. Whatever method of sowing you choose, keep the planting area weed-free and well-watered as they become established in their first season. Bee balm has a tendency to expand outward via its underground rhizomes. Plant the bee balm to a depth of ¼ to ½-inch deep, and space plants 12-inches apart. The leaves have a minty aroma when crushed. If you collect seeds from a hybrid cultivar, whatever new plants sprout will not be identical to what you already have planted in your garden. Leaves are light green, arrowhead shaped, somewhat hairy and coarse textured. Luckily, bee balm is very forgiving. Let us know in the comments below, and feel free to share a picture! Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. Bee balm propagates by rhizomes, or runners, that spread under the ground to produce new shoots. 100% Upvoted. If you’re starting your seeds outside where temperatures tend to fluctuate, germination may be more sporadic or slow. Just make sure to place your plants where you don’t mind them spreading out when you transplant, and don’t put them near any smaller plants that will be taken over easily. This prevents them from rotting, resulting in higher success rates. Be sure to dilute the concentrate and apply it according to package directions. The plant attracts pollinators, and is a good addition to homemade potpourris and lotions. 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