Bee balm, which is also known as Oswego tea, horsemint and bergamot, is a versatile perennial plant that can add color and beauty to any garden.
Native to the eastern portion of North America, bee balm flowers, which bloom in mid to late summer, has many uses. The scarlet-colored flowers are edible; the leaves can be used to make tea. In fact, Oswego tea was the beverage chosen by colonists who lost access to the English teas after the Boston Tea Party. Bee balm is also a good addition to homemade potpourris and lotions.
The plants grow anywhere from two to four feet in height and work well to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to the garden.
In addition to being available at gardening centers, bee balm is relatively easy to grow from seeds, cuttings and root divisions. In fact, the plant, which is a member of the mint family, can become so invasive that you will be forced to find methods to eradicate it because bee balm quickly spreads via underground rhizomes.
Bee balm grows well in a variety of soil types. Although the plants prefer plenty of sunshine, bee balm will tolerate partial shade in hot climates.
Bee balm, which does not grow well in drought conditions, can be planted in spring two weeks before the last frost or late in summer at least two months before the first frost. If planting from seed, seeds can be sown eight to 10 weeks prior to the last frost. Seeds, which usually take a week to 10 days to emerge, should be planted about one-eighth inch deep and spaced one inch apart. Plants should be thinned to stand about one foot apart.
If you are especially taken by a bee balm plant’s particular color, you will have to divide the existing plant in order to propagate it. Although you can start new plants from seeds that you harvest yourself, the color of the flower blooms can change because bee balm has a tendency to revert back to its wild form.
To start plants from cuttings, choose a stem with two sets of leaves. Strip the lower set of leaves off and plant in potting soil, making sure to cover the nodes from which the lower leaves were stripped. It will take two to three weeks for the bee balm to root.
Be careful where you plant bee balm. It is probably best to avoid high-traffic areas used by people and pets because of the fact that bees love the plants.
Flickr photo courtesy of raymondgobis.
Bee balm will succumb to root rot in cold, wet soil during the winter months. It is a good idea to add a couple of inches of mulch to the bed of bee balm during the fall months.
In humid conditions, bee balm plants can suffer from powdery mildew. Although powdery mildew is not usually fatal to the plant, it is undesirable. Correct the situation by providing good air circulation and water the plants at ground level whenever possible.
Once you have established a bed of bee balm, sit back and enjoy the bee and butterfly action while you delight in the pleasant fragrance.
Interested in learning about the medicinal properties of bee balm? Visit http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbBeeBalmMed.htm.
Visit http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1981-05-01/Wholesome-Hearty-Herbal-Tea.aspx to learn about culinary properties of bee balm or http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/1984-05-01/Healing-Gardens.aspx to learn about the medicinal properties of the plant.
33 Reasons to Grow Bee Balm, Lavender, and Basil
Gary Knoll says
June 24, 2012 at 2:50 pmWhat is the best way to treat powdery mildew on bee balm? I have tried fungicide, but that was not that effective. Would a weak solution of water and bleach work. 4oz. to a gallon? I do not want to lose my Bee Balm.
Joyce says
June 29, 2015 at 11:00 amI have very tall plants with no sign of flowers, itis almost July 2015
Will they eventually have flowers?
Carol Ann says
March 11, 2017 at 9:37 pmCan bee balm be grown in large planters? I’d love to start a plant in spring.
Lisa says
May 26, 2017 at 12:19 amAbsolutely Bee Balm can be grown in large planters! I have some planted in giant plastic horse feed tubs in my backyard here in southern Oklahoma. I planted it late last summer and my plants are now about 2.5 feet tall and covered in hot pink blooms!! It’s gorgeous!!! I drilled a few holes in the bottom of the tub and filled it with potting soil and it gets watered along with all my plants about 3-4 times per week sometimes more in our extremely hot and dry summers!!
Ann Grover says
May 7, 2018 at 2:42 pmYes, mine got 5 feet tall last year in big pots. It’s wise to put tomato cages on them as the flowers are heavy and bend the stems.
joy says
June 8, 2017 at 8:27 pmWill bee balm survive winter in NC?
Rob says
June 23, 2017 at 6:49 pmYes, bee balm will survive winter in NC. I have several groups planted on the southern side of my house in full sun, and honestly, I don’t even mulch them over winter and they come back each year seemingly stronger and more vibrant.
Anne Wood says
August 1, 2017 at 5:16 pmI live in Vermont and my bee balm comes back every year….I just love it! I have just fuschia and red so I am looking for some other colors to plant. My hummingbirds, bees and butterflies just love it.
Jessica Hinterman says
June 21, 2017 at 5:34 pmThe stems of my Jacob Cline bee balm tend to grow sideways along the ground before they become vertical. Also, the clump has remained fairly small in spite of having been planted a number of years ago. The bed gets full sun and is an excellent, loamy garden soil amended with compost in the spring most years. We water deeply during very dry spells. Any hunch about what’s going on?
todd says
July 18, 2017 at 7:24 amI live in Minnesota and was wondering if you might know why my fireball bee balm is 1/4 of the size it was last year?
I also have a compact purple one about 5 feet from it that is half the size too.
This is its 2nd or 3rd summer and they were planted in the spring.
My other two fireballs ; one planted this spring doing very well and one planted late last summer = huge !!
Reading the article , the only thing I see with the one in question may get some very little flooding for a day in winter during warm , sunny days when the snow melts but I see no signs of root rot this summer.
My other two are planted about 7 feet away and all 4 get full sun and 2-3 mulch year round.
I’m wondering if my huge one planted late in the season last year will be small next year as well as the one I planted this spring ?
I have a mix of reg. dirt with clay .
I wonder if as the roots got established and started going more into clay it stunted the growth .
Thanks
Carol Hull says
August 10, 2018 at 7:39 pmCan Bee Balm be sheared down to rebloom?
Sarah says
August 28, 2018 at 11:42 amI wouldn’t shear the Bee Balm. I get double heads from the old flowers, they sprout on top of the old ones. I like to call them Dr. Seuss flowers, lol. I would if need be just dead head the old flowers and yes, you should get new blooms. Bee Balm is simply wonderful…