How to Grow Bee Balm (Monarda) & Attract Pollinators

Bee balm (Monarda) is a member of the mint family and spreads by runners (underground stems) and seed.

If you are growing this in Canada or the United States, it can be an aggressive grower.
This is a good example of a native plant that is beneficial to wildlife yet problematic for some growers.

In my experience (southwestern Ontario, Canada), it is not, however, truly invasive like some mints where the roots are nearly impossible to remove. Bee balm roots tend to be shallower and easy to pull. If it was like mint, I would only grow it containers.

I let it spread in my garden and pull some out every few years to leave room for other plants.

It is always good to check with your local university extension office or conservation group to research any plants you want to grow and be sure you are making environmentally-beneficial choices for your region.

Yes. If you want to try a native species, look for it sold under the name Bergamot. I start mine from seed indoors and transplant it into the garden in late spring.

Yes. In my experience, you can grow just about anything in a container if you can provide the required growing conditions (sun, water, nutrients, good potting mix, and room for roots to grow).

Look for dwarf varieties of Monarda if you want something more compact for growing in pots.
The catch is that, depending on your climate, you may need to overwinter them to prevent the soil (and therefore, roots) from freezing.

I have pink, purple, and red bee balm. The hummers spend most of their time with the red, though they do take nectar from the others as well.

I have not checked for research specifically on this but it does seem that some plant hybrids and cultivars have different flower formations that make it more difficult for the pollinators to feed, so choose a variety of bee balm the local hummingbirds and bees recommend.

No, no pruning is required.

At the end of the growing season the flowers and stems die back. Leave them for the winter to provide habitat for invertebrates—all those essential creatures that bring life to the garden and need a safe place to spend the winter. Late spring cut the old growth down to 6-inches. New growth will appear all around it.

Yes, sometimes the flowers will change color.

There are lots of Monarda hybrids and hybrids by nature have unpredictable reproduction, often displaying traits from their genetic heritage. So don’t be surprised if a light pink or purple one is red next year.

Bee balm can also cross-pollinate so yours may be getting pollinated by some neighboring bee balm flowers in different colors.

If your experience is like mine, one color will become dominant over the years. In my case, I love the deep purple ones but I have ended up with a garden of red flowers.
I suspect the key is to love whatever shows up.