This beautiful red Monarda (aka Bee Balm) is the prettiest blooming Monarda in our yard. When in bloom, it looks like a barely-contained red fire. It is an eye-catching plant in border plantings, in addition to being photogenic and stunning in vase arrangements.To me, there are few flowers with an equally interesting bloom head. It blooms atop a 3 foot herbaceous stalk in the summertime. Ideally, this plant should be planted in the most blazing hot all-day sun you can find, and then it will certainly spread and bloom a healthy and impressive display for you.
However, as much as I love it in bloom, Monarda comes with a price; severe powdery mildew. Ultimately, I rather have a love/hate relationship with this perennial. Wholesalers, retailers, and fellow gardeners swear "this variety is impervious to disease in less than full sun", but do not believe them! Every single variety of Monarda (someone has given me) gets a real case of powdery mildew early in the season. Chemicals keep it from spreading to other plants, but the mildew hangs onto Bee Balm here throughout the entire growing season. The white dust of the mildew is so unattractive that once the plant is done blooming in August, I immediately lop it all the way back, and I look forward to the bloom time and loping season again the next year!
"Please come, you are welcome,
It's great to see you smile.
And it's time to go now, early goodbye,
I'll see you around another mile."
Y
