Monarda fistulosa, Wild Bergamot, Quart pot

Monarda fistulosa, Wild Bergamot

FS-PS, Zone 3, blooms June-August, 4’ x 2-3’ deer resistant, medium wet to dry, sand to some clay.

Like most Bee Balms and plants of the mint family, Monarda fistulosa is a sturdy perennial wildflower that expands to form upright clumps. This bee balm bears deep green aromatic leaves on strong square stems. In the summer, plants are topped by showy rounded clusters of fragrant lavender tubular flowers. Pollinators flock to the blooms in sunny prairie-like settings or in gardens with average well-drained soils. Wild Bergamot also has scented foliage and beautiful, uniquely shaped blooms. Grown in most conditions, it provides quite a spectacular show. The plant can be susceptible to powdery mildew, so plant where there’s plenty of air circulation and enough sun. This plant is considered a forage plant, as the nectar is available continuously throughout the day as it keeps opening new flowers to keep the supply going.

Attracts native bees, honey bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and native wasps. Numerous bumble bees visit and Mason, Leaf-cutter and Sweat bees access the nectar at the base of the floret where they chew a hole. This plant supports many different bees. Larger bees, like bumble bees, tend to avoid the pollen and go for the sweet nectar, while small sweat and resin bees forage only for its pollen.