Beebalm will add beauty, pollinators to your home garden. Here's how to grow it

FOMO, or fear of missing out is real, and for plant lovers, fear of missing out on a beautiful plant keeps us searching for new plants to incorporate into our gardens and landscapes. Until recently, a plant that I was missing out on in my garden was beebalm, that pollinator garden staple that is native to Ohio and provides stunning color in mid-summer. After conquering my fear of missing out on beebalm by planting three varieties of this gem around my deck at home, there is hardly a moment when dozens of bees, a butterfly or a hummingbird aren’t enjoying beebalm’s flowers as much as I am.

Beebalm is an herbaceous perennial in the mint family (Lamiaceae) and in the genus Monarda. The common name for this plant comes from the fact that the plant is considered a natural remedy to soothe the ache of bee stings. Beebalm is also a favorite plant for bees and other pollinators including butterflies and hummingbirds. Beebalm supports at least three rare and specialist bee species in the Eastern United States, and also attracts several other beneficial insects that keep populations of harmful garden pests in balance.

In mid-summer and into early autumn, beebalms produce stunning flowers in shades of red, pink and purple atop erect stems of 2 to 5 feet in height.

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Growing beebalm in your garden

Beebalm grows best in full sun locations, but some shade in late afternoon seems to help beebalm flowers last longer. Picking the flowers once they have peaked will encourage a second round of blooms. Beebalm does best in a slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.7, so in many locations in Greater Columbus, gardeners should be prepared to lower the pH of the native soil by adding elemental sulfur. If you don’t know the pH of your soil, have your soil tested for fertility and pH. You can do that here: go.osu.edu/franklinsoiltest.

Beebalm can tolerate short periods of drought, but fares much better if it gets adequate moisture. The leaves of beebalm easily wilt when even just the top inch of soil is dry. This plant does not tolerate waterlogged soils, even in winter, so be sure to plant it in well-drained soil, or amend your soil to promote better drainage.

To stimulate and prolong bloom, apply a water-soluble complete fertilizer to bee balm every two to three weeks during the growing season.

Three species of beebalm

Scarlett beebalm (Monarda didyma) – This species of beebalm has dark red flowers, which bloom in mid-summer. Like other beebalms, the flower heads are formed by many elongated flowers, which harbor abundant nectar. In my garden, this species of beebalm seems to attract the greatest number of hummingbirds, likely because of its red color.

Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) – This species of beebalm has a flower structure similar to Scarlett beebalm but is pink or purple. Wild bergamot grows taller than other species of beebalms, with plants capable of growing in excess of 6 feet tall under proper conditions. While the flowers of wild bergamot are regularly visited by bees, butterflies, moths, wasps and hummingbirds, other parts of this plant host several caterpillar species, further supporting populations of beneficial moths.

Spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata) – The flowers of this beebalm species are uniquely stunning and delicate, with each of the flowers that form the flower head displaying several colors, with pink, white, yellow and spotted sections. This species of beebalm attracts many different species of insects including several predatory wasps, which feed on harmful insects in the garden.

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Beebalm challenges

Like most plants in the mint family, beebalm spreads easily and can crowd out less aggressive plants in the garden, so give beebalms space when planting them. A minimum of 2 to 2 ½ feet between beebalm plants and other plants is recommended.

Beebalm produces many individual plant stems and tends to become very thick, preventing the plants from drying out quickly after rainfall, dew or irrigation. Because of this, it is very common for beebalm plantings to become infected with powdery mildew, a common fungal disease of many different plants. Beebalm plants infected with powdery mildew will appear to be coated with a grayish white powder.

Cultural practices can reduce the severity of powdery mildew, so maintain proper spacing of beebalm by dividing plants every three to four years, as the size of the planting increases each season. Simply dig up the plant in early spring, discard the woody center, and make small divisions of the newer shoots and roots, and replant. Avoid overhead watering, and only water the soil when irrigating beebalm.

The best way to avoid the annoying problem of powdery mildew is to select and plant mildew resistant varieties such as Marshalls Delight, (bright pink flowers); Jacob Cline (deep red flowers); Grand Marshall (purple flowers); or Raspberry Wine (light red flowers).

If you don’t have beebalm in your garden or landscape, you are missing out on a delightful plant that plays an important role in the ecosystem.

Mike Hogan is an Extension educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources with Ohio State University Extension. hogan.1@osu.edu