Monarda bradburiana is a smaller, early blooming species of Monarda, growing no taller than 2' and flowering as early as May. For gardens that can't accomodate the taller, spreading species, this beebalm is a perfect solution. Light rose-pink flowers appear at the end of solitary stems and are typical of the genus, although they have the addition of small, purple spots on the lower petals. The toothed, gray-green leaves are opposite and sessile, attaching directly to the stem. It's a favorite of pollinators, providing nectar and pollen and serving as a host plant for moth caterpillars.
Most gardeners assume they need moist conditions to grow beebalm, but Monarda bradburiana steers toward drier soils. It grows naturally on open, rocky sites in savannas and forests, on roadsides and in abandoned fields. Easy to grow in a variety of soil and light conditions, it is best kept too dry rather than too wet. It's resistant to the powdery mildew that besets other Monarda, but planting M. bradburiana in a spot with good air circulation is still a good practice for prevention. Deadheading flowers will extend summer bloom. Its medium height makes it useful in borders, and its showy, globular flower heads will make it stand out in more informal plantings. Bloom time may extend from May to July.
Space plants 12"-18" on center.
Eastern beebalm does not spread out like other Monarda species; its rhizomes are shorter, giving it more of a clumping habit. Sometimes the stems can flop over, which adds to its width. Planting 12" on center will provide dense coverage, while 18" or more will give looser coverage and more air circulation.
For blooms and great color, pair Eastern beebalm with Penstemon digitalis (foxglove beardtongue), Rudbeckia fulgida (orange coneflower) or the compact, floriforous cultivar Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii 'American Gold Rush', Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) or its cultivars, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (aromatic aster) or its cultivars, and Pycnanthemum flexuosum (Appalachian mountainmint).
Unlike most species of Monarda, the eastern beebalm is very resistant to powdery mildew. It attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. Its aromatic leaves can be used in teas or to add fragrance to a pot-pourri. The fragrance may be the reason deer find it unpalatable. Makes a lovely cut flower. A balm made from the crushed leaves has been used traditionally to soothe bee stings, hence the genus common name.
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Recorded County Distribution: USDA data.
AL, AR, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, OK, TN, LA, TX |
Endangered | IA |
MAP OF WETLAND DELINEATION REGIONS
Code |
Status |
Designation |
Comment |
OBL |
Obligate Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Almost always occur in wetlands |
FACW |
Facultative Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands |
FAC |
Facultative |
Hydrophyte |
Occur in wetlands and non-wetlands |
FACU |
Facultative Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Usually occur in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands |
UPL |
Obligate Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Almost never occur in wetlands |
Kingdom | Plantae | Plants |
Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants |
Superdivision | Spermatophyta | Seed plants |
Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants |
Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons |
Subclass | Asteridae | |
Order | Lamiales | |
Family | Lamiaceae | Mint family |
Genus | Monarda | beebalm |
Species | Monarda bradburiana | eastern beebalm |
beebalm, wild bergamot, bergamot, horsemint, Bradbury monarda
Monarda rigida
Monarda villosa
Monarda russeliana
Sizes info
Shipping is free on all plants orders!
Your plants will ship using each grower’s preferred method: FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, or Spee-Dee Ground (in select midwestern states). Our growers ship orders Monday through Wednesday. The farther your plants need to travel, the earlier in the week they will ship. The goal is to have all plants delivered by the end of the week.
Shipping plugs:
Plugs are shipped in full flats, sometimes also referred to as trays. Multiple flats can be shipped in a single box. The flats are wrapped in netting or craft paper to secure the plants, and spacers are used between flats to keep the plants from being crushed.
When you unpack your plugs, the plants will have been somewhat flattened by the netting or craft paper. They will straighten out within a couple of days. You may also gently “fluff” them a bit to speed up the process. In some cases, your plants might have been cut back before packing, if the grower deemed them to have become too tall for safe packaging. Don’t worry, though, these guys know what they’re doing and would not compromise the health of the plants. They’ll fill back in in no time.
After receiving your plants’ journey in a dark box, it will be important to acclimate them to sunlight again. Over a couple of days, you should gradually move them into their preferred light exposure, and water them as per their requirement.
Although we always recommend putting your plants in the ground as soon as possible, they can stay healthy in the flats for a considerable amount of time. The key is to respect their growing requirements: if the species requires full sun, do not store them in the shade. If it is best adapted to dry soil, do not over-water.
Planting plugs:
We consider plugs ready to ship when the plants’ roots have filled the entire liner cell and the plants can easily be pulled out. In some cases you will have to go about it gently, wiggling the plant by the crown, and possibly squeezing the bottom of the liner to compress the growing medium and release the roots. Other times, the plants will appear to be root bound. They are not in the traditional sense. The plants are healthy but they have used up all the growing medium available to them. Plugs are at an aggressive stage of growth. As soon as planted the roots will immediately expand into your native soil. They establish faster than plants in larger containers, because they don’t have the luxury of a lot of growing media that can inhibit the roots from venturing outside of their comfort zone.
We are not going to address area preparation because the process can be complex and is always site-specific. However, as a rule, we recommend disturbing the soil as little as possible, and we do not recommend amending the soil. If you chose the right plant for the right conditions they will thrive. Any disturbance and amendments will only encourage weeds to emerge that never had a chance to do so before.
Installing plugs cannot be easier: dig a hole large enough for the roots to fit snugly inside, then water them in to eliminate air gaps. We recommend using a soil knife, sometimes referred to as hori hori, or a drill-adapted auger if it’s a large installation. If you use an auger, you will need a powerful drill. Depending on the size of the project and the type of soil, the process can be beyond what an average drill will bear. Mulching is recommended after installation to help keep weeds down while the plants establish. Be sure to keep it away from the crown of the plants. For large projects, you may want to mulch the area before planting, rather than tiptoeing through it after the fact. As a side note: if you are installing plugs in the fall, you might want to plant them so that the crown is about ¾” lower than the surrounding soil. The winter’s freeze/thaw cycles can push plugs out if the roots did not have enough time to establish and anchor them in.