PlantFiles: Bee Balm, Beebalm
Monarda 'Cambridge Scarlet'

I planted 4 of these in a 6' diameter bed and they practically took over. apparently S. Indiana really agrees with them. I love the bees and hummingbirds that are drawn to them and the rest of the garden.

I planted mine as 5 little plants I bought off of someone on Craigslist back in 2008 and they spread like wild fire and are growing great as of 2011. My plants do get up to 4 feet tall and sometimes a little taller. I do dead head cutting about 8 inches down from the flower heads after the first set of blooms which are big and bright start fading and I get a second bloom. I have read some cut them down to the ground but I figured in my area it is not a long growing season and may never see the second blooms appear. The flowers on the second bloom are smaller then the first set but still look good. This spring I took a shovel back in April and sliced under the plants like you would kinda do for sod when they were about 2inches tall and moved some to different areas. When I planted them in the new area I just scrapped the soil down to the height of the chunk flopped them down pushed on the plant soil and they took hold and are doing well... no transplant shock at all... I have already given some away taking out the plants in areas I do not want them in.. I still have people wanting some but since they are getting bigger I am waiting for them to be ready to plant them with my scraping method which seems to work.. They do attract bees so beware where you plant them along with hummingbirds and the hummingbird moths... They can take over so you have to either keep at them from spreading or putting a barrier in.. I have been just yanking them out. Check out my photos

This plant (bee-balm) has grown very well for me here in tallmadge Ohio (Northeast Ohio).zone 5-6

In Missouri, I grew this at our previous house in full afternoon sun and it spread like crazy. Easy to grow--I started mine (5) from bare-root mail-order plants that looked like dried twigs, but they all grew. I didn't realize that all you need is one to get started because they will spread quickly (as in possibly too quickly). The blooms were incredibly gorgeous, but the plants bloomed for a short time only and then the stems looked awful. A heavy rain would also topple the stems, even when blooming. So the plants looked great for a couple weeks in summer and terrible the rest of the year. If I grow them again, it will be at the back of the yard where they have room to spread and will provide a nice spot of color when seen from the house. I didn't deadhead, they might have bloomed longer if I did that? I never watered them either and they thrived.

I love the bee balm family. They produce some very striking and unusual flowers. It seems to thrive in Virginia's clay soil, but they do tend to be agressive growers. Mine are planted in a mass of Shasta Dasies, Black Eyed Susans and a False Sunflower. This is a rough neighborhood in which to grow, but their holding their own. They do seem to appreciate being out of full sun.

The flowers are striking, but the foliage is prone to mildew and it spreads about 12" out in each direction each year. At least the roots are shallow and it's easy to pull. Definitely needs to be planted behind 3' tall plants that will hide the mildew and legginess. Thrives in clay soil and dappled shade.