Genus: Monarda

Common Names: bee balm, bergamot

Description coming soon.

Distribution: North America

Monarda 'Trinity Purple'

Common name(s): trinity purple bee balm

Description: perennial; a hybrid of M. fistulosa and M. didyma selected and introduced by Sandy Mush Herb Nursery of North Carolina. Vigorous growth, excellent mildew resistance, large, rich purple flowerheads and profuse blooms in summer. A fast favorite in the garden. 

Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.

Monarda austroappalachiana

Common name(s): Appalachian bee balm, white bee balm

Description: perennial; a species found by the Ocoee River in Tennessee and only recently described in 2015. Lower in stature than most bee balms with pure white flowers in summer. Foliage is flushed with gorgeous shades of burgundy in colder weather.

Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 2 ft.

Monarda bradburiana

Common name(s): eastern bee balm

Description: perennial; a low-growing species native to the eastern U.S. Pale pink flowers bloom in early spring and attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. 

Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.

Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline'

Common name(s): red-flowered bee balm, scarlet bee balm

Description: perennial; the most popular red-flowered bee balm on the market. Discovered near the Blue Ridge Parkway by Georgia plantswoman, Jean Cline, and named for her son; introduced by Saul Nursery of Alpharetta, Georgia. Favored for it's long-blooming scarlet flowers and resistance to disease. 

Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.

Monarda fistulosa 'Tetraploid'

Common name(s): rose bee balm, rose-scented bee balm, Manitoba monarda

Description: perennial; a rare, tetraploid form of M. fistulosa identified in the forests of Manitoba sometime around the early 1990s. More vigorous than the species with larger leaves and larger, longer-lasting flowers. Even more excitingly, it has a very high geraniol content and has been suggested as a substitute for rose geranium. Pleasant, rose-scented foliage and lavender pink flowers in summer.

Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.

Monarda fistulosa var. menthifolia

Common name(s): mint-scented bee balm, wild bergamot

Description: perennial; a widespread species native to most of central and western North America. Aromatic, mint-scented foliage and large lavender-pink flowers in late spring and summer. One of the most commonly used monardas in traditional medicine and for culinary purposes. 

Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.