Monarda - Plant

Best grown in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerates somewhat poor soils and some drought. Plants need good air circulation. Deadhead flowers to prolong summer bloom

Common name: Monarda fistulosa
Color: Purple
Bloom time: July to September
Height: 2.00 to 4.00 feet
Difficulty level: easy to grow

Planting & Care
Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Remove spent flowers to keep plants looking tidy. After the first killing frost, cut stems back to an inch or two above soil line. Divide plants in spring every few years or when you notice the center of the plant dying out.

Sunlight: Full sun to part shade

Soil: well-drained soil

Water: Dry to medium

Temprature: -20F (-30C)

Fertilizer: Apply any organic fertilizer

Care:

• Provide a good, multi-purpose fertilizer, and work it into the soil around the bee balm plant.
• If you want a bushier plant, pinch off the stem tips as new growth appears in the early spring.
• In late fall, cut the bee balms down to just a few inches tall.

Use
Medicinal use:

• Using bee balm in herbal medicine.
• To make tincture, pick clean leaves and flower tops.
• To dry the leaves for winter use

Culinary use:

• the entire plant above ground is edible used as a pot herb, and it is Red bee balm, monarda didyma, oswego tea also used as

Ornamental use:

• Provides color and contrast for the herb garden, wild garden, native plant garden, meadow or naturalized area.
• May be used in the perennial border

Note:
Powdery mildew can be a significant problem with the monardas, particularly in crowded gardens with poor air circulation. This species has good mildew resistance, however. Rust can also be a problem.

Reference:
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g560 https://www.growveg.com/plants/us-and-canada/how-to-grow-monarda/