Bee Balm 'Prairie Gypsy'
Family: Lamiaceae (Mint Family)
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Hardiness Zones: 4-8
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Height: 18-24 inches
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Spread: 18-24 inches
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Bloom Time: mid-June
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Bloom: 2.5-3 inch fragrant, deep magenta-pink compound blooms
atop square stems (2 feet); up to 50 tubular, two-lipped flowers per flowerhead;
flowers nest on a whorl of purple-tinged leafy bracts; nut-like seed per
flower; small, grayish purple spent flower heads extend the season of interest
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Light: full sun to part shade; flowers
best in full sun
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Soil: average well-drained, gritty,
slightly acidic; tolerates shallow rocky soil
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Moisture: medium to medium dry; drought
resistant once established
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Use: naturalizing; borders; rain,
gravel, rock, meadow, herb and pollinator gardens; cut flowers; scented foliage
used in teas and traditional herbal medicine
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Care: plants need good air circulation;
deadhead flowers to prolong bloom; immediately cut out any stems showing signs
of mildew; cut back and clean spent foliage before winter
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Concerns: poor resistance to powdery
mildew; lower leaves drop if dry; aphids, moth larvae, and leaf beetles may damage
leaves
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Native to: species native to southern and
central United States
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Notes: a variety of the native Monarda
bradburiana; tightly compact, clump-forming; less prone to spread that other
Monardas; pairs of aromatic, minty-scented, finely-serrated, oblong, grey-green
and hair-covered leaves opposite one another on stems; burgundy fall color; can
self-seed; attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, bumblebees, and other beneficial
insects; larval host to several moth species; deer resistant
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Supplier: Landscape Designs, Inc.
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Teaching Garden
Location & Code: Naturalistic Garden H169
Content
produced through:
Dane County
UWEX Master Gardener Volunteer Program
Questions?
Dane County UWEX Horticulture
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