Monarda

Also known as bee balm, it originates from the prairies of North America, where Native Americans used it as a medicinal plant. This exotic plant not only has a long flowering period, but also delights with its wonderful fragrance and, as mentioned, the healing properties it contains.

It belongs to the mint family, forms shrubs and most commonly grows to a height of around 80 to 90 cm, although varieties reaching almost two metres are not uncommon.

Medicinal Properties

Monarda supports digestion, helps with bronchial inflammation, colds and fever, relieves menstrual pain and has overall calming effects. Bee balm can also be used for headaches, stomach aches or joint pain. This plant has healing properties for injuries and insect bites.

Some Varieties

Croftway Pink - has salmon-coloured flowers and grows to a height of 120 cm

Citriodora - purple flowers and height around 80 cm

Schneewittchen - pure white flowers, grows to a size of 1 to 1.2 m

Cambridge Scarlet - boasts scarlet red flowers and 80 cm to 1 m height

Didyma - this variety is one of the original ones, has scarlet-coloured flowers and grows to a height of 60 to 100 cm

Growing

Bee balm thrives in humus-rich soils, likes warmth, so choose a sunny or semi-shaded location, and regular watering is essential. Overall, it's an easy-to-grow plant and is suitable, for example, for perennial plantings with taller plants.

Seeds are sown in May and June, and planting in the bed is done in July or August. The cultivars that are now available are more resistant to diseases and tolerate frost well. Therefore, they will last for three years, after which it's advisable to replace the plant with a new one.

Thanks to breeding efforts, you can now choose from various colour variants ranging from white, through red, to purple.