We love the Bee-You® series of Monarda in our garden during 2020 for their ample flowers and resistance to disease. We planted some in both our patio area and our Earth Day garden to stunning effect. This year we expanded our offerings to include Bee-Happy. Hot pink magenta mixed with deep red flowers open from magenta-colored buds, that blanket the plant for months of color and are eye-popping on a blanket of darker green foliage. The small size of the Bee-You line, 12-15 inches heigh, make them ideal plants for border gardens and containers, keeping them compact and tidy. Monarda make great companion plants for other pollinator friendly flowers and look great situated among ornamental grasses.

Monarda is native to eastern North America, so it is a hardy plant that grows quickly, does well in a variety of soils and is easy to care for. The nectar in the flowers is a favorite of native pollinators. The foliage is aromatic, smells of crushed mint and can be used to flavor team or sparkling water. With their summer blooms come a menagerie of pollinators including bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and even the oft forgotten but very important flying beetles.

General care for any tree or shrub is easy, but like any living thing will require your attention. Please educate yourself and follow these simple rules.

Monarda 'Bee-Happy'® - Bee Balm

In the wild Monarda can be found along riverbanks and as a result prefers rich soil, but it will grow in average soil as well. Full sun is best, but it will tolerate light shade, where it will spread more quickly, but be less dense and have fewer blooms. Monarda reproduce rapidly through underground rhizomes. They will also respond well to deadheading. Powdery mildew is a common fungal problem is it is best to purchase a cultivar that has resistance, at New Blooms we only carry resistant cultivars because powder mildew is common. As an additional preventative measure plants should be thinned out when they become overly thick - increasing airflow and soil should be kept moist with supplemental watering and a yearly application of mulch.