Monarda media (purple bee balm)
NEAR NATIVE
 
If your garden has a sunny, moist spot that needs to earn its keep, purple bee balm is ready to work. Monarda media is one of the less commonly known members of a very well-loved genus, but it brings the same qualities that make bee balm a staple of native plantings: showy clusters of tubular flowers, aromatic foliage, and an exceptional ability to pull in pollinators. The color here is a rich, saturated purple — deeper than fistulosa, more unusual than didyma — and it shows. 
 
The tubular shape of the flowers is specifically attractive to long-tongued pollinators: hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies, hummingbird moths. This is not a plant that sits quietly in the garden. Something is always visiting. After flowering, the seedheads hold their structure through fall and winter, extending the plant's value well past the growing season — and giving you something to look at when everything else has collapsed. Give it full sun to part shade, consistent moisture, and good air circulation. It will spread, which in the right spot is exactly the point.
 
photo by Hameltion
 
Plants can be purchased in-person or online (with in-person pick-up).
All online orders will be ready for pick-up 24-72 hours after purchase. You will receive an email to let you know when your order is ready. We kindly ask that you pick-up any orders within one week of purchase.