Bee balm is the common name for plants in the genus Monarda. These members of the mint family have gained popularity for their quirky, colorful flowers. These flowers are highly desirable by pollinators as a rich source of nectar.
This easy-going plant prefers lots of sunlight and well-draining soil to perform its best. It makes a great companion in the vegetable garden because of how well it draws in beneficial insects.
Bee balm plants are heat and cold-tolerant, growing in a wide range of climates. The most prevalent problem for this plant is powdery mildew. You can prevent this by planting in full sun and ensuring proper air circulation. Let’s take a look at some beautiful varieties of bee balm for your garden.
Rockin’ Raspberry
The mid-sized rockin’ raspberry plant reaches about two feet.
‘Rockin’ Raspberry’ is a member of the Sugar Buzz series bred by Walters Gardens, Inc. Bred for excellent resistance to powdery mildew, this bee balm variety is sturdy in the garden. It’s exceptionally showy with deep green foliage with purple veining and large fuchsia flowers.
This is a mid-sized plant, reaching about two feet at maturity. It forms a mound of foliage decorated with splashy flowers in well-branched stems. This variety doesn’t spread too quickly and is great for containers.
Jacob Cline
Position this tall plant towards the back of your garden beds.
This brilliant red variety will bring tons of hummingbirds to the garden. Red is a hummingbird’s favorite color, and the tubular flowers of ‘Jacob Cline’ are too enticing to pass up. This is a taller variety, which can reach heights of four to five feet over the season. It is an exceptionally vigorous grower and stands up well to the elements.
Plant ‘Jacob Cline’ near the back of your garden beds. Its height will cast a shadow on smaller plants. However, it makes an excellent backdrop and coordinates well with salvia or other flowering herbs. The plant will spread to about three feet and blooms best when it is divided every few years.
Panorama Red
Cold-hardy ‘Panorama Red’ boasts scarlet blooms.
In addition to being a great pollinator attractor, bee balm has other practical uses. ‘Panorama Red’ is a bright and cheerful variety that makes gorgeous dried flowers. The blooms retain a lot of their color when dried. This plant also makes a nice herbal tea from dried leaves and flowers.
‘Panorama Red’ is a mid-sized plant, reaching between two and three feet tall. The apple green foliage with deep red veining perfectly complements the scarlet blooms. These are cold-hardy all the way to Zone 3, making them one of the most cold-tolerant bee balm varieties.
Leading Lady Plum
This variety attracts honey bees with its large, flashy blooms.
‘Leading Lady Plum’ is a wonderful compact variety. It only grows to about one foot tall, making it a good fit for borders and foreground plants. It also works very well in containers. This cultivar has dark green foliage that offsets electric purple flowers.
Since blue and purple are a bee’s favorite colors, this is one to plant to attract both native and honey bees. The flowers are large, prolific, and flashy. ‘Leading Lady Plum’ is an early bloomer that will begin flowering in late spring to early summer.
Bee-True
This cultivar is highly resistant to powdery mildew.
‘Bee-True’ is part of the Bee-You series, and a fast grower in the garden or container. The plants are mid-sized, reaching about two feet tall. They form nice, compact clumps of dark green foliage, quickly. The flowers are large and magenta, with velvety red centers.
The aromatic foliage of this variety has a scent that suggests basil and mint. It is herbaceous and pleasant. It grows in a nice shape with little attention and has excellent resistance to powdery mildew.
Bee-Free
A breathtaking display of ‘Bee-Free’ captivates with its vibrant hues.
‘Bee-Free’ is another Bee-You variety with a similar, low, mounding growth habit. The aromatic foliage is fresh and herbal and great for making tea. The best quality of this series is its incredible powdery mildew resistance. It is mildew-proof.
A mass planting of ‘Bee-Free’ is a stunning and colorful sight. This cultivar has maroon buds that open to red-violet flowers. It is clump-forming and reaches just over one foot tall over the summer.
Raspberry Wine
Hummingbirds are attracted to the tubular flowers of Raspberry Wine.
‘Raspberry Wine’ is a great background plant as it grows to heights of up to four feet tall. It is a heavy bloomer with bright magenta flowers, which begin to bloom in mid-summer. Under the right conditions, this variety can become invasive, so it will need regular thinning out.
The apple green foliage virtually glows in the garden. It provides a wonderful backdrop for the brilliant blooms. Hummingbirds are fond of this variety and can be often seen visiting the tubular flowers. It has great resistance to powdery mildew, as well.
Claire Grace
This variety boasts large, pinkish-purple flower heads.
If you live in a coastal area, this salt-tolerant variety will grow well in your garden. ‘Claire Grace’ is a medium to large variety with a vigorous growth habit. Though not as dense as some smaller types, the foliage is attractive and dark green with purple stems.
‘Claire Grace’ is especially showy with large, pinkish-purple flower heads. This variety is popular with butterflies, in particular. It makes a great addition to the pollinator garden. The long stems make this a nice cultivar for the cutting garden, too.
Blue Stocking
Optimal drainage is crucial for bee balm to prevent root rot.
‘Blue Stocking’ with its blue-violet blooms, is a good bee attractor. Plant this variety in the vegetable garden for an increased harvest. This is a great bloomer, beginning in mid-summer and blooming well into the fall. It is mid-sized, with a mature height of around three feet tall.
Make sure to plant your bee balm in an area with very good drainage. These plants like a fair amount of moisture, but they won’t tolerate wet feet. Be aware of this during the winter months because cold, wet soil can easily lead to root rot while the plant is dormant.
Bee Merry
The vibrant pink blooms of this variety emerge from magenta buds.
Also a Bee-Free variety, ‘Bee-Merry’ is a cheerful and compact variety of bee balm. This cultivar quickly grows to about a foot tall and has a naturally rounded habit. It is clumping and easier to manage than some of the more aggressive varieties.
‘Bee-Merry’ along with all the Bee-Free cultivars, are bred to be resistant to powdery mildew. This one has bright pink flowers that come from magenta buds. The foliage is dark green with hints of red and aromatic.
Blue Moon
The dark green foliage of ‘Blue Moon’ forms a dense clump.
‘Blue Moon’ is a Sugar Buzz series variety. The plants in this series are all similar in stature and growth habit, so they look great together. They are roughly two feet tall at maturity, making them great mid-ground plants. Their mildew resistance is above average.
If you like seeing bees in the garden, the blue-violet flowers on ‘Blue Moon’ will be highly attractive to these garden helpers. The foliage is dark green and forms a dense clump. The flowers glow in contrast to the deep foliage. This variety is vigorous but not aggressive in the garden.
Marshall’s Delight
Crushing the leaves of this plant releases an intense spicy scent.
‘Marshall’s Delight’ has some wonderful qualities to extoll. For one thing, the flowers are unusual and extra flashy. Rather than a disk shape, this variety has rounded flowers that are nearly spherical. The bright, clear pink flowers are large, and with tall stems, this plant works very well in the cutting garden.
Many varieties of bee balm are fragrant, and ‘Marshall’s Delight’ is no exception. The flowers and foliage have a pleasant, spicy fragrance. The scent of the leaves intensifies when crushed.
Balmy Rose
The plant has vibrant pink flowers, about three inches wide.
‘Balmy Rose’ is a member of the Balmy series, with great disease resistance and an abundance of blooms. A great attribute of this series is their early blooming habit. They begin blooming in early summer and continue into the fall months.
The large flowers are about three inches wide and vibrant pink. The plant is compact, only reaching about one foot at maturity. It holds up well in hot weather and will continue to look lush and attractive through the summer. The deep green foliage has pink accents and perfectly complements the brilliant pink flowers.
Pardon My Rose
Regular division slows the spread of ‘Pardon My Rose’.
‘Pardon My Rose’ is a sweet, shrubby variety with dense stems and foliage. It makes an excellent container plant and looks great in a mass planting. It’s a smaller plant, but the flowers are as big as larger varieties. The rose-pink blooms are flashy and fun, contrasted with slightly glossy, green foliage.
This more modern hybrid has very good disease resistance. Powdery mildew is no match for ‘Pardon My Rose.’ This cultivar spreads quickly, so make sure to divide regularly to slow the spread.
Cherry Pops
The scarlet flowers of this variety bloom on robust stems.
Another member of the Sugar Buzz series, ‘Cherry Pops’ is a brilliant red variety. All members of the series are similar in size and bloom time, so they make great partners in the garden. If you want a variety of colors, Sugar Buzz is the way to go. ‘Cherry Pops’ grows in a rounded shape to about two feet tall.
This variety blooms vigorously on long, strong, well-branched stems. The flowers are two to two and a half inches across and scarlet. The series is a good clumping grower. It is not aggressive so no need to worry about it becoming invasive.
Fireball
This compact variety suits any garden.
‘Fireball’ is a compact variety, reaching only about one foot at maturity. It blooms in early to mid-summer and continues until late summer. The flowers are large and fluffy, in an electric shade of crimson. This variety has long stems and apple-green foliage with a slight blush in some areas.
This dwarf cultivar will fit into any garden space. With a spread similar to its height, it makes a nice border or mass planting, as well. Butterflies and hummingbirds will come to the garden just for this plant.
Balmy Purple
The deep pinkish-purple flowers of this plant are eye-catching.
‘Balmy Purple’ doesn’t get that tall, but that means it blooms early and will continue for quite some time. This purple variety will be very popular with bees and butterflies. It makes an excellent border plant in the pollinator garden. At nearly one foot tall, this is one of the more compact bee balms.
If you want an easy-to-care-for, disease-resistant, and compact plant, ‘Balmy Purple’ is a great choice. The dark green foliage looks beautiful with deep purple stems. The flowers are deep, pinkish-purple, and very showy.
Final Thoughts
Bee balm plants are a must-have in the pollinator garden. The taller varieties make great additions to the cutting garden, with strong stems and colorful blooms. The dwarf cultivars are ideal for containers and borders. There are so many good uses for this plant, from ornamental to its use as a tasty tea.
