Dig into Plants: Bee Balm

Bee Balm Other Common Names: Wild Bee Balm, Wild Bergamot Scientific Name: Monarda fistulosa ssp. fistulosa var. fistulosa Native to Alabama: Yes
	Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center James L. Reveal Click on image to enlarge it

Learn more about...

Basic Plant Information
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center James L. Reveal Click on image to enlarge it	I am a vasuclar plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous. I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous. I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial. I can grow 2 - 4 feet high and 2 - 3 feet wide.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies		Native Bees				Hummingbirds


Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:
Eastern Beebalm (Monarda bradburiana)		Lemon Beebalm (Monarda citriodora)		Basil Beebalm (Monarda clinopodia)


Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata)		Red Purple Beebalm (Monarda russeliana)

Maintenance Notes
Dormant in winter. Flowers can be cut for an indoor vase. Can be an aggressive grower. Cut plant back after hardest-killing frost. Remove dead flower heads throughout season to prolong summer bloom. When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots. Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves. Requires average amount of water.
Average watering: water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:
Full Sun (6+ hours of sun per day) Part Sun/ Shade (2-6 hours of sun per day)		Average Watering	Well-drained, Clay, or Moist Soil

Leaf, Flower, & Seed Identification

LEAF DESCRIPTION				USDA Plants Database Patrick J Alexande Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (JPG)

Shape: Lanceolate	Margin: Serrate	Arrangement: Opposite	Form: Simple

Description:
up to 4-inch long leaves are gray-green in color; stems are square


FLOWER DESCRIPTION				Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shapes Chart (JPG)

Color: Pink, purple, red, white	Shape: Tubular		Bloom Months: June - September

Description:
fragrant; solitary pompom-like cluster of flowers on end of branch upon a whorl of leafy bracts; bilabiate (two-lipped) with narrow upper lip and broad lower lip


SEED DESCRIPTION				Minnesota Wildflowers Website Peter M Dziuk Click on image to enlarge it

Type: Fruit - Dry Seed Pod	Description: small, brown, elongate, round		Months in Seed: Summer - Fall

Plant spreads by:
Seeds and Rhizomes/ Tubers/ Roots & Shoots Seeds fall to the ground and each seed can create a new plant. Underground rhizomes spread and create new clumps of plants.

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle: All plants start life as a seed. The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots. The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground. After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers. After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed. When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again. Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.	Click on image to enlarge it

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign:
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign:
Editable Word Doc

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THIS PLANT

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Plant Database		USDA Plants Database
Native Plant Trust Go Botany		North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Missouri Botanical Garden		Minnesota Wildflowers

.

Quick Links