Monarda / Bee Balms

One of the showiest summer-blooming perennials, Monarda (Bee Balm) has very distinctive, brightly colored flower-heads that create captivating border displays and provide a great impact when used in a mass planting. The blooms consist of asymmetrical, two-lipped tubular flowers borne in dense, globular terminal heads, which rest upon a whorl of decorative bracts that attract scores of butterflies and hummingbirds. Monarda is also grown for its aromatic foliage that can be enjoyed in salads or simply by passing by. Blooming for weeks from mid-summer to early fall, these showy perennials are a striking addition to informal borders, wildflower meadows, or water edges. The boldness of Monarda blooms makes it terrific for massing or as an accent plant. They combine very well with other summer perennials such as phlox, irises, daylilies, and yarrows.