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How to Grow BEE BALM (Monarda didyma)
- Plant: perennial, hardy to -20°
- Height: 3 feet
- Soil: moist, fairly rich
- Exposure: sun, partial shade
- Propagation: cuttings, division
- Uses: fragrance, culinary
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 Bee
balm, also called Oswego tea and bergamot, is a native American plant
but is named after Monardes, a 16th century Spanish botanist. A leafy,
bushy perennial, its branching stems grow to about 3 feet high; clusters
of scarlet flowers which are attractive to hummingbirds rise from
colored bracts at the ends of the stems during summer and early fall.
There are several named garden varieties : `Cambridge Scarlet,' a fiery
red; 'Croftway Pink,' a lavender-pink; and 'Granite Pink,' a lovely
clear pink. The flowers and foliage have a strong minty aroma.
Plants grow well in sun or shade, but the mats of shallow roots are very
invasive, so use it where you can contain its growth easily. Cut plants
back periodically to keep them compact, and divide them every 3 or 4
years.
Use bee balm leaves for potpourris and tea, and to flavor jellies and
fruit salads. The flowers are attractive in fresh arrangements.
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