Culture: Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best in sandy soils with consistent moisture. Tolerates somewhat poor soils and drought. Remove spent flowers to improve plant appearance and possibly to prolong bloom. Spreads by runners to form large clumps, but is not considered to be too aggressive.
Noteworthy Characteristics: Monarda punctata, commonly called spotted beebalm, is native to the eastern U.S. and typically occurs in dryish soils on prairies, sandy areas and coastal plains. It is uncommon in the state of , but has primarily been found in several eastern counties adjacent to the Mississippi River. A clump-forming, mint family member that features branching or simple, square stems which rise typically to 1-2′ tall. Yellow, two-lipped flowers which are spotted with purple appear in the upper leaf axils and stem ends in two or more tiered, but interrupted, stem-ringing clusters, each cluster being subtended by (resting upon) a whorl of showy, pinkish, leafy bracts. The toothed, aromatic, oblong leaves (to 3″) may be used in teas. Long summer bloom period.
Genus name honors Nicholas Monardes (1493-1588), physician and botanist of Seville. Specific epithet means spotted.
Problems: Powdery mildew can be a serious problem with some of the monardas, particularly in crowded garden areas with poor air circulation. Susceptibility to foliar diseases in general increases if plants are grown in dry soils or are allowed to dry out. Rust is also an occasional problem. Deer tend to avoid this plant.
Garden Uses: Perennial borders, cottage gardens, meadows, wild gardens and herb gardens. Also effective in containers. Interesting addition to butterfly gardens.
All plant information courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden
Spotted Bee Balm (also called Dotted Mint or Dotted Horsemint) prefers sandy soils and full to part sun. This Monarda is more tolerant of drought and intense sun than most in the genera. Monarda punctata is usually found in sand prairies, hill prairies, and Oak savannas.
It is an eccentric beauty in form and color with complex blossoms topping 2’ stems in hues of pinkish-purple, green, beige, and maroon. These blossoms attract honeybees, bumblebees, and many butterflies, including Karner Blue butterfly. Spotted Bee Balm is also one of the host plants for the Raspberry pyrausta butterfly. The scent of this plant is repugnant to mammalian herbivores so is rarely consumed by them.
Price range: $6.00 through $12.00
