I spent a few hours outdoors this morning tending to some spring cleaning chores – cutting down the dead perennial foliage, shearing down the smaller ornamental grasses and making my son pull the exposed poison ivy vines (he is not allergic). As I was traversing the garden, clearing the dead growth and looking for emerging foliage, I came to a realization I hadn’t really well, realized before: my garden is dominated by Bee Balm.

The purple-green rosettes are everywhere right now.

I’ve written previously about Bee Balm thrives in my wet clay soil and does it ever multiply in no time wherever I’ve planted it. And not in an invasive way. The underground rhizomes spread happily and fill in empty spots along the way. If it ever stretches where I don’t want it, I simply pull it out by the roots and plant it somewhere else in the garden.

At this point in time, I have so many different cultivars of Bee Balm (Monarda) that I’ve forgotten all of the names. All I know is that they all bloom like mad starting in early summer and the blooms last for weeks, and even longer if they are deadheaded along the way.

Bee Balm looking good in late spring, even before the blooms have revealed themselves.

And kicking butt and taking names when in bloom.

Drawing in the bees and other critters.

They look great even as the blooms start to fade in mid summer.

And remain interesting into winter.

Some additional facts on this perennial:

• Prefers full sun but will adapt well to partial shade
• As mentioned previously, prefers damp soil and thrives in clay
• On average, the size maxes out at 2 to 4′ x 1.5 to 3′
• Blooms from early summer through late summer
• Survives in zones 4-9
• North American native, typically in moist woodlands
• The leaves/stems have a fantastic orange-like scent
• As a result of the scent, it is deer resistant
• Bee Balm is prone to powdery mildew if not given proper air circulation. Personally, I find it easy to deal with by simply ignoring late in the season and allowing the leaves to fall followed by a simple clean-up.
• Monarda also known as Bee Balm also known as Oswego tea, was introduced by the Oswego Indians to botanist John Bartram who learned of its healing powers when brewed as a tea. It was used to treat chills, fever, insect bites and even bronchial congestion.

I planted a white cultivar of Bee Balm last spring and I’m hoping it really takes off this year. Either way, prepare yourself for even more Bee Balm pics this gardening season.