Beebop Bee Balm

Monarda fistulosa

Other Names: Beebop Spotted Horsemint, Beebop Spotted BeeBalm

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 4a-9b (3?) Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial

Height at Maturity: 18-24″

Width at Maturity: 18-24″
Spacing: 18″ for mass planting, 3′ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Upright

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flower Color: Yellow flowers with Pink bracts

Flower Size: 2-4″

Flowering Period: Early Summer to Late Summer

Flower Type: Tubular, two-lipped

Fragrant Flowers: Yes

Foliage Color: Green

Fragrant Foliage: Yes, minty fragrance

Berries: No

Berry Color: No

Sun Needs: Full Sun to Part Shade, morning sun helps to dry dew from the leaves to avoid mildew

Water Needs: Average

Soil Type: Clay (Amend heavy clay soils to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well Drained to Somewhat Dry

Soil pH: 6.5 to 7.5 (Slightly Acid to Slightly Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Low

Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds, Visual Attention

Resistances: Cold Temperatures (30F / Zones 4-9), Deer, Drought (when established), Insect

Description

Looking to attract butterflies and hummingbirds and help save the bees while adding beauty and color to your garden? It doesn’t get much better than Beebop Bee Balm, a compact version of the North American native Monarda punctata, commonly known as Bee Balm. We love this plant for its exotic looking tubular yellow flowers with pink bracts. The color combination is gorgeous. Both the nectar-rich flowers and foliage are fragrant with a minty scent, and are highly attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds and beneficial pollinators. The flowers are also great for cutting and use in fresh or dried flower arrangements. Very adaptable and easy to grow, with high drought tolerance when established, Beebop Bee Balm is a colorful and resourceful addition to the perennial or wildflower garden.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 18 to 24 inches tall and equally as wide, Bee Bop Bee Balm is ideal for use as an accent in smaller garden spaces or in groupings in perennial or meadow gardens or behind low growing shrubs in landscape borders. A fine addition to butterfly and hummingbird gardens, pollinator gardens, cut flower gardens, fragrance gardens, native gardens, meadow gardens and the Xeriscape (low water needs.)

Suggested Spacing: 18 inches apart for solid groupings; 36 inches or more apart for space between plants

Growing Preferences

Beebop Bee Balm is easy to grow in moist any moist but well drained to dry soil of average fertility and full sun to part shade. We suggest morning sun for sure to dry the dew from the leaves. It grows best in a sandy soil with consistent moisture, but not wet or standing in water. Deadheaded spent flowers can prolong the bloom however is not necessary.

Plant Long & Prosper!

Questions? Contact Us!

We bought these because they were something different from the usual bee balm at our local nurseries. When they arrived they were in full bloom and we thought too bad we didn’t get them earlier. However, it is now three weeks later and they still look great. I would say they may not have the purple hue of the pictures, but they are a long blooming flower. Something very nice to add to your garden.. Not a big splash though. I would recommend them to intermix with other showy flowers.——————————————————–Thanks for the great review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG