Description
Scarlet Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) is a wonderful clumping wildflower that attracts bumblebees, swallowtail butterflies, and Ruby-throated hummingbirds. This plant was known as Oswego Tea to the early European settlers and used as a tea replacement during the American Revolution. Scarlet Bee Balm is a prolific grower, with good resistance to deer and rabbit, that spreads by seed and rhizome once fully established.
Light: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Moisture: Medium to Moist
Soil Type: Clay, Loam, and Sand
Soil pH: 6 – 7
Average Height: 2 – 5 Feet
Flowers: Showy, rounded clusters (2-4 inches wide) of bright scarlet-red, tubular, two-lipped flowers that look like “mop-heads”
Bloom Time: June- September
Native Region: Eastern North America
Wildlife: Larval host to the Hermit Sphinx, Orange Mint Moth, and the Raspberry Pyrausta




