Monarda Didyma L. Beebalm (Monarda Coccinea, Monarda Kalmiana, Monarda Oswegoensis)

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Monarda didyma L. Beebalm (Monarda coccinea, Monarda kalmiana, Monarda oswegoensis)

Other Common Names: Bergamot, Horsemint, Monarda, Oswego Tea, Red Balm, Scarlet Beebalm. Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae). Cold Hardiness: Useful in landscapes in USDA zones 4 through 8(9). Foliage: Simple; opposite; narrowly ovate to ovate-lanceolate; 3O to 6O long; tips are acuminate; margins are serrate to dentate-serrate; base rounded; fuzzy pubescent to nearly glabrous; venation is pinnate; medium to dark green in color; no fall color develops; leaves are sessile or nearly so to the stems; foliage is aromatic when crushed. Flower: The perfect flowers are arching, tubular, flaring, and hooded with the upper of two corolla lobes (lips) extended; 2O to 3O long; the two stamens are exerted; the two lips remind me of a gaping snake’s mouth with the pair of exerted stamens as the flicking tongue; flowers are borne in whorls on the stem; scarlet-red is the typical color, white, violet-blue, pink, salmon, or purple flowering cultivars are available; bloom is effective in late spring to summer; flowering is reduced in favor of vegetative growth in the shade. 1 1 Fruit: The fruits are four nutlets between /8O and /16O long; not ornamental; deadheading prolongs flowering. Stem / Bark: Stems — stems four-angled; pubescent to nearly glabrous; medium to dark green; Buds — foliose; green; pubescent to glabrous; Bark — not applicable. Habit: Beebalm is an irregularly upright 2N to 4N tall sprawling herbaceous perennial which spreads to form colonies in favorable locations; the overall texture is medium-coarse and can be a bit ragged at times. Cultural Requirements: Plants are most vigorous when grown in full sun and rich moist well drained soils, but will tolerate lesser sites; this species requires regular moisture content in the soils; plants are not drought tolerant; growth is much better in northern portions of our region and this species can suffer from vigor problems resulting in a short life expectancy along the Gulf Coast and in South Texas, whereas it may be considered to be aggressive in North Louisiana and Northeast Texas; bloom is extended by regular deadheading. Pathological Problems: Powdery mildew and rust fungi can be a problem, particularly where air circulation is poor. Ornamental Assets: Prominent rich red, purple, salmon, white, or pink flowers; bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are strongly attracted to the flowers. Limitations & Liabilities: Under favorable conditions, this species can become invasive; powdery mildew and drought intolerance can be limiting in much of our region. Landscape Utilization: A classic component of Eastern American herbaceous perennial or mixed perennial / annual borders, Monarda didyma can be a bit aggressive for inclusion in some North Texas gardens; naturalizing is a possibility in areas with moderate rainfall and good soils; a good plant for butterfly and hummingbird gardens; often included in cottage and herb gardens. Other Comments: The genus name, Monarda, honors Nicholas Monardes who was a sixteenth century physician and botanist who specialized in plants from the Western Hemisphere; Beebalm is one of my favorites in old cottage gardens of the Midwest, but is a bit more temperamental here when drought strikes; the leaves are used to flavor English Earl Gray tea, however, according to legend the Oswego Indians of the Northeastern US were the first to use the plant to make a tea, hence the vernacular name of Oswego Tea. Native Habitat: Eastern North America. Related Taxa: Cultivars are available in a range of flower colors; ‘Cambridge Scarlet’ is a classic bright red selection, whereas ‘Croftway Pink’ offs a paler pink flower, but both are powdery mildew susceptible; ‘Gardenview Scarlet’ (‘Gardenview Red’) and ‘Marshall’s Variety’ (rose-pink flowers) are reportedly powdery mildew tolerant.

Monarda citriodora V. de Cervantes ex M. Lagasca y Segura Lemon Beebalm (Monarda aristata, Monarda dispersa, Monarda tenuiaristata) C Also known as Horsemint, Lemon Mint, Lemon Horsemint, Plains Horsemint, or Purple Horsemint; Lemon Beebalm is a herbaceous annual or biennial with an upright growth habit; plants reach 18O to 30O tall depending on the quality of the site; in the wild plants are often found in moist habitats such as stream banks and bottomlands, although they can occur as smaller plants on drier soils. C Flowers occur mainly from late spring to early summer, sometimes sporadically thereafter to frost; the whorled ¾O long two-lipped flowers are subtended by a leafy bract; whorls occur in succession up the flower stalk, and have been likened to a “multitiered Oriental pagoda” by the Tvetens (1993); flowers are light pinkish white to light purple; bracts are green or flushed lavender purple. C Dried leaves of this species are sometimes brewed in teas; this species is native to the Central and Southern US and Northern Mexico; the specific epithet “citriodora” refers to the plant’s lemon scent.

Monarda fistulosa L. Wild Bergamot (Monarda comata, Monarda cornata, Monarda hybrida, Monarda menthifolia, Monarda mollis, Monarda ramaleyi, Monarda scabra, Monarda stricta) C Also known as Long-Flowering Horsemint or Pink Horsemint; Wild Bergamot has pale lavender flowers, which are borne most profusely in late spring in southern regions to mid- summer in cooler regions; plants are upright growers reaching 1N to 2N tall in the wild, becoming taller 2N to 3N plants under cultivation, and are often found forming colonies; Wild Bergamot is best used in naturalized settings as it can become aggressive in mixed perennial borders. C Monarda fistulosa is not nearly as showy in flower as M. didyma, but it is more widely adapted to conditions in our region, tolerating greater drought and exhibiting less problems with powdery mildew than M. didyma; useful in USDA zones 4(3) through 9(10) when appropriate provenances are planted; Monarda fistulosa is native to the Eastern and Central US, Canada, and Mexico.

Monarda punctata L. Horsemint (Monarda lasiodonta, Monarda lutea. Monarda stanfieldii) C Also known as Dotted Mint, Dotted Monarda, Perennial Sandy-Land-Sage, Plumetooth Beebalm, Spotted Beebalm, Western Beebalm, or Yellow Horsemint; Horsemint is a moderately coarse textured upright suckering herbaceous perennial most commonly encountered in East and South Texas; this species is most easily distinguished from the other Mondarda spp. discussed herein by the prominent bracts that subtend and constitute the showy part of the flower; reddish brown dots on the bracts are the source of the common name of Dotted Mint, Dotted Monarda, or Spotted Beebalm; the specific epithet “punctata” means spotted; bracts range in overall color from pale green, yellowish, pinkish, to purple and seed or cuttings should be selected from parental materials during flowering to ensure the desired flower color. C This species grows on a variety of soils in sun to part shade; it is very site responsive, growing 1N to 4N tall depending upon the conditions; plants may become rather aggressive under cultivated conditions and are best reserved for naturalizing and wildflower plantings. C Native to the Eastern and Central US, including Texas; useful with proper provenance selection in USDA zones 4 through 9(10); although a bit on the coarse side and often lacking the good flower colors of M. didyma, M. fistulosa, or perhaps even M. citriodora, none-the-less M. punctata can be showy en masse and possesses larger bracts than the afore mentioned species; several naturally occurring varieties are recognized within this species (see Diggs et al. 1999).

References: Armitage, 1989; Diggs et al., 1999; Enquist, 1987; Irwin, 1961; Still, 1994; Nau, 1995; Odenwald and Turner, 1996; Ryan, 1998; Sperry, 1991; Tveten and Tveten, 1993; Welch, 1989.