Also called bergamot, bee balm, horsemint, and oswego tea, Monarda is a genus of annuals and herbaceous perennials belonging to the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae, that also includes mint, lavender and sage. Plants grow 8-60″ tall and have stems that are square in cross section and carry lanceolate leaves 2.8-5.5″ long with toothed margins. The red, pink, pale yellow or light purple flowers are borne in terminal head-like clusters and are tubular with a narrow upper lip and a wider lower lip. The flowers attract hummingbirds and pollinating insects but the plants tend to develop powdery mildew in high humidity. They thrive in moist, well-drained soil in sun but tolerate partial shade.
The genus name, Monarda, honors Nicholas Monardes (1493-1588), physician and botanist of Seville, Spain.
Photo Credit: Hardyplants, Wikimedia Commons
The environmental conditions of the Southwest resulted in at least five native species of Monarda there but they may be native to other places too. All of the Monardas described here are native to at least two states in the Southwest.
Eastern Beebalm (Monarda bradburiana)
The gray-green aromatic leaves are up to 4″ long and form a neat mound. The flowers are carried in globular terminal clusters 2-3″ across and are attractive to humming birds, butterflies and other pollinators including bumble bees.
Alternate Name/s: Wild bergamot, horsemint
Native Range: Texas and Oklahoma as well as areas of the Midwest and Southeast
Habitat: Open areas such as woodland borders, savannahs, grasslands, meadows and thickets.
Type: Perennial
Height: 1-2′
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
Bloom Color: White or pink speckled with purple
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Average, dry to medium moist, well-drained; tolerates lean soil and some drought
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Photo Credit: peganum, Wikimedia Commons
Lemon Beebalm (Monarda citriodora)
A stout stem bears aromatic, narrow, toothed green leaves up to 3″ long. From late spring to summer 2-6 interrupted clusters of lavender to pink or white flowers heads appear. The flowers are attractive to humming birds, butterflies and other pollinators, including bumble bees.
Alternate Name/s: Lemon mint, purple horsemint
Native Range: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma as well as parts of the Rocky Mountain area, Pacific Coast, Southeast and Midwest
Habitat: Prairies, pastures, meadows, savannahs, open limestone areas, rocky slopes, hills
Type: Annual or biennial
Height: 1-2.5′
Bloom Time: Late spring through summer
Bloom Color: Lavender to pink or white
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Average, dry to medium moist, well-drained; alkaline
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11
Photo Credit: Michael Wolf, Wikimedia Commons
Basil Beebalm (Monarda clinopodioides)
The oblong leaves taper at both ends and have toothed margins and hairy undersides. Clusters of white or pink flowers speckled with purple appear in the axils of the upper leaves from late spring into fall. The flowers are of special value to bumble bees.
Alternate Name/s: None
Native Range: Texas and Oklahoma as well Louisiana and parts of the Midwest.
Habitat: Prairies, pastures, meadows, fields, and woodland edges
Type: Annual
Height: 8-12″
Bloom Time: Late spring into fall
Bloom Color: White, pink with purple spots
Light: Full sun
Soil: Sandy, dry to medium moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: Not Relevant
Photo Credit: Megan Cassidy, Wikimedia Commons
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Oblong, grayish-green leaves are up to 4″ long. Pink to lavender flowers appear in dense, rounded terminal clusters subtended by a whorl of showy, pinkish, leafy bracts, and attract humming birds, butterflies, and other pollinators including bumble bees.
Alternate Name/s: Bee balm, eastern bergamot
Native Range: All the Southwest as well as all the rest of the US except California and Florida
Habitat: Prairies, fields, wet meadows, marshes, dry open woods, woodland margins
Type: Perennial
Height: 2-4′
Bloom Time: Summer
Bloom Color: Pink to lavender
Light :Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Fertile, dry to medium moist, well-drained; tolerates poor soil, drought and heat
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
Photo Credit: D. Gordon E. Robertson, Wikimedia Commons
Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata)
The narrowly lanceolate leaves are 1-3″ long and have dentate margins and a Greek oregano fragrance. Clusters of pale yellow flowers spotted with purple appear in in the leaf axils and stem ends over a long bloom time starting in late spring to summer. Each cluster is subtended by light pink to white tinged leafy bracts which are more showy than the flowers. The flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators including bumble bees and beneficial wasps.
Alternate Name/s: Dotted beebalm, dotted horsemint
Native Range: Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico as well as areas in the Pacific Coast, Rocky Mountain area, Southeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England
Habitat: Prairies, pastures, meadows, savannas, sandy areas, rocky woodlands, and coastal plains.
Type: Perennial
Height: 1-5′
Bloom Time: Late spring to fall
Bloom Color: Pale yellow spotted with purple
Light: Full sun, part shade
Soil: Average, sandy, dry to medium moist, well-drained; tolerant of drought and poor soil
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Photo Credit: Amber M. King, Wikimedia Commons
For the purpose of this article, the Southwest comprises the states of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona. Other states often associated with the Southwest are included in other geographic areas. The key factor linking these four states is aridity. The area includes high dry plains and true deserts as well as spurs of the Rocky Mountains. Only Texas has a coast on the ocean which brings east Texas and Oklahoma more precipitation and humidity than elsewhere in the states. In addition to the ocean, the Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers are significant water features in the area. Although temperatures in the mountains can be cool, most of the area experiences hot temperatures for a long part of each year.