{"product_id":"bee-balm","title":"Bee Balm (Monarda Fistulosa)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocal Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bee Balm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBotanical Name: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMonarda fistulosa\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lamiaceae\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNative Status:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dakota County Native\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLandscape Archetype:\u003c\/strong\u003e Prairie and Savanna\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Perennial\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun Exposure:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun, part sun\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil Moisture:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dry to Mesic\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Loam, Sand, Gravel, Silt\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeight \u0026amp; Width Range: \u003c\/strong\u003eHeight: Shoulders (36\"–48\") Width: 18\"–36\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Purple\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMorphology Notes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Erect perennial forming upright clumps. Opposite leaves with soft texture but with distinctly serrated margins. Leaves emit an oregano‑minty aroma when touched or crushed. Flower heads form rounded layered clusters of narrow tubular florets that when grouped together resemble pom-poms. The color varies widely from lavender to soft purple and even white in rare cases. Look closer at those florets and complexities abound with protruding flower parts, hairs and calyx. The squared stems of this plant take on a rouge, purple or brown color that makes them pop out in a crowd. The root system is fibrous with short rhizomes enabling loose colonial to spread, and without competition, they will spread. Plants emerge early in spring with purple tinged leaves. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFruits and Seeds:\u003c\/strong\u003e Produces smooth nutlets inside the persistent, papery floral bracts (calyx). The nutlets mature late summer and fall. Those seeds are not edible, but the leaves are. Use fresh or dried leaves to make a tea or as an aromatic in sauces, sautés or even baked treats. Dried seed heads offer beauty throughout winter and make excellent arrangement components keeping their fragrance in near perpetuity. It is very easy to grow this plant from seed, so share with your neighbors or spread them in abandon parking lots. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHabit and habitat:\u003c\/strong\u003e What begins as a clump with a few sprigs turns into a colony of upright clumps that spring to life every spring even through last year’s dead stems. Common in dry to mesic prairies, open savannas, sunny woodland edges, roadsides, and old fields. Strongest and most upright in full sun with lean soils. In part shade this plant stretches, flops and loses its intense color, though it will still bloom in a fair amount of shade. Without fail this plant always gets powdery mildew, this condition is pronounced in shadier and wetter sites. But in drier open canopy sites the mildew is not as noticeable when companions like prairie grasses, sunflowers, asters and goldenrods color up and distract. Bee Balm handles drought, fire, and disturbance well, maybe too well? Give this plant competition from other vigorous growers like native sunflowers, tall prairie grasses and other robust forbs to prevent unchecked spreading.   \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompanions\u003c\/strong\u003e: Heavy Sedge (\u003cem\u003eCarex gravida\u003c\/em\u003e), Little Bluestem (\u003cem\u003eSchizachyrium scoparium\u003c\/em\u003e), Big Bluestem (\u003cem\u003eAndropogon gerardii)\u003c\/em\u003e, Purple Coneflower (\u003cem\u003eEchinacea purpurea\u003c\/em\u003e), Meadow Blazing Star (\u003cem\u003eLiatris ligulistylis\u003c\/em\u003e), Gray-headed Coneflower (\u003cem\u003eRatibida pinnata\u003c\/em\u003e), Common Milkweed \u003cem\u003e(Asclepias syriaca)\u003c\/em\u003e, Stiff Goldenrod (\u003cem\u003eSolidago rigida\u003c\/em\u003e), Sky‑blue Aster (\u003cem\u003eSymphyotrichum oolentangiense\u003c\/em\u003e), Tall Sunflower (\u003cem\u003eHelianthus giganteus\u003c\/em\u003e), Compass Plant (\u003cem\u003eSilphium laciniatum\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEcological Associations:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bee Balm’s bloom time in Minnesota marks the true start of summer, when the offspring of overwintering queen bumble bees emerge to forage. This plant is made for bees but the buffet is open for a parade of pollinators including Clearwing hummingbird moths (\u003cem\u003eHemaris sp.\u003c\/em\u003e) and Ruby‑throated Hummingbirds who hover at the blooms like tiny drones, joined by a shifting cast of butterflies, moths, skippers, syrphid flies, tachinid flies, and even predatory wasps pay a visit to the fountain to sip some nectar in-between hunts. Speaking of hunting Crab spiders (\u003cem\u003eMisumenoides formosipes\u003c\/em\u003e) and ambush bugs (\u003cem\u003ePhymata spp.\u003c\/em\u003e) hang out on the flowers waiting for prey that can’t resist the siren call of \u003cem\u003eMonarda fistulosa\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e MN\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNH Propagation technique:\u003c\/strong\u003e Seed \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecial Powers:\u003c\/strong\u003e This plant is mandatory for native plant gardeners. It's beautiful, adaptable, fast growing, herbivore resistant and still serves a multitude of insects and animals including humans. The aromatic foliage adds a sensory layer to your garden. You can’t resist grabbing a leaf and crushing it for a burst of aroma power. Here at Northern Holler HQ we brew a medicinal tea with the leaves that helps to heal our head colds. \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Northern Holler, LLC","offers":[{"title":"2.5\" POWER PLUG","offer_id":48188153430266,"sku":"MONA-FIST-01","price":3.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3.5” 1ST YR Perennial","offer_id":48647502201082,"sku":"MONA-FIST-04","price":5.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3.5” 2ND YR Perennial","offer_id":48188512108794,"sku":"MONA-FIST-02","price":7.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"6\" Standard Perennial","offer_id":48188512141562,"sku":"MONA-FIST-03","price":10.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/9929\/3946\/files\/20230721_150825103_iOS.webp?v=1773030343","url":"https:\/\/northernholler.com\/products\/bee-balm","provider":"Northern Holler, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}