LEMON BEE BALM Monarda Citriodora Characteristics Culture

LEMON BEE BALM Monarda citriodora

Characteristics  Type: Annual  Maintenance: Low  Zone: 2 to 11  Suggested Use: Annual, Naturalize  Height 12-30”  Flower: Showy, Fragrant  Spread 9-12”  Leaf: Fragrant  Bloom Time: May to August  Attracts: Hummingbirds, Butterflies, Bees  Bloom: Lavender to pink to white  Texas Native  Sun: Full sun to part shade  Tolerate: Deer, Drought  Water: Dry to medium Culture

Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers limestone-rich, rocky or sandy soils, but tolerates other soils. Prefers full sun. Plant seed in fall or early spring. This plant will remain in the garden from year to year by self-seeding. Plants may form large colonies in optimum growing conditions.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Monarda citriodora, commonly called lemon beebalm, lemon mint, lemon horsemint, purple horsemint or lemon bergamot, is a hardy annual (sometimes biennial) that is typically found in rocky or sandy prairies, pastures and roadsides. It grows 12-30” tall. Tubular, scented, two-lipped, light lavender to pink to white flowers bloom in dense, globular, head-like clusters from spring to mid-summer. Flower clusters appear on stiff square stems clad with narrow lanceolate to oblong, awn-tipped, serrate leaves (to 2.5” long). Upper stem leaves may be in whorls. Each flower stem typically has 2 to 6 interrupted flower clusters, with each cluster being subtended by white to pink-lavender bracts. Flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, particularly when massed. Leaves have a distinctive lemony aroma when rubbed. Some monardas are commonly called beebalm in reference to a prior use of the leaves as a balm for bee stings.

Problems

Powdery mildew can be a serious problem with some of the monardas. Susceptibility to foliar diseases in general increases if plants are grown in dry soils or are allowed to dry out.

Garden Uses

Bedding plant, cottage gardens, herb gardens, native plant areas, prairies, roadsides or waste areas. Also effective in hummingbird or butterfly gardens. Leaves may be used to make herbal teas or may be added to pot-pourris. Courtesy of Missouri Botanical Society Plant Finder