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Spotted Bee Balm

from $5.00

(Monarda punctata)

Captivates both pollinators and humans.

Spotted Bee Balm is one of the most whimsical plants we grow at The Wild Patch — often affectionately called the “Dr. Seuss flower.” And once you see it, the name makes perfect sense. Its blooms arrive in soft, tiered whorls, with delicate pink bracts layered like petals, encircling clusters of small yellow flowers dusted with purple. The effect is both playful and architectural. Native to much of the eastern and southern U.S., Spotted Bee Balm is most at home in sandy, well-drained soils. It’s remarkably well adapted to these conditions, thriving where many other plants would struggle. Rare for a native, this one does not need cold stratification. This means you can directly sow the seeds into your soil in the spring. Best of all, Spotted Bee Balm is a member of the mint family so deer and rabbits turn their nose up at it. At once unusual and enduring, Spotted Bee Balm brings a sense of surprise to the garden — an invitation to plant something a little unexpected and captivating.

(Note: Now accepting orders for Fall — shipping begins Sept 1 . For local customers, plants available now-Sept 30 for local pick-up. Seeds ship year-round.)

Size:

(Monarda punctata)

Captivates both pollinators and humans.

Spotted Bee Balm is one of the most whimsical plants we grow at The Wild Patch — often affectionately called the “Dr. Seuss flower.” And once you see it, the name makes perfect sense. Its blooms arrive in soft, tiered whorls, with delicate pink bracts layered like petals, encircling clusters of small yellow flowers dusted with purple. The effect is both playful and architectural. Native to much of the eastern and southern U.S., Spotted Bee Balm is most at home in sandy, well-drained soils. It’s remarkably well adapted to these conditions, thriving where many other plants would struggle. Rare for a native, this one does not need cold stratification. This means you can directly sow the seeds into your soil in the spring. Best of all, Spotted Bee Balm is a member of the mint family so deer and rabbits turn their nose up at it. At once unusual and enduring, Spotted Bee Balm brings a sense of surprise to the garden — an invitation to plant something a little unexpected and captivating.

(Note: Now accepting orders for Fall — shipping begins Sept 1 . For local customers, plants available now-Sept 30 for local pick-up. Seeds ship year-round.)

PLANT FACTS:

Seeds per packet: 500 seeds

Lifecycle: Perennial

Germination code: A, D

Needs cold stratification: No

Bloom time: July, August, September

Bloom color: Purplish-pink

Light: Full Sun, Partial Sun

Soil moisture: Medium dry to medium dry

Soil texture: Sandy

Soil Ph: Slightly acidic to slightly alkaline

Height: 3’

Plant spacing: 8-12”

USDA zones: 3-9

Deer resistance: High

WILDLIFE BENEFITED

• Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
• Seed source for winter birds
• Special value to bumble bees and honey bees

PAIRS WELL WITH:

Some good native companions include perennials that thrive in well drained, sandy soil, such as: Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), and Lance-Leaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata).

GOOD TO KNOW…

  • Spotted Bee Balm is very easy to grow from seed. And it’s easy to get started because it does not need a period of cold stratification to germinate. So, you can just sow the seeds.  

    Germination code: A, D (no stratification needed)
    Days to germination: 14-28 days at 60-70°F
    Days to maturity: 365 days (often blooms the 1st year)

    Indoors: Sow the seeds indoors, 6-8 weeks before the last frost.  Sprinkle seeds on the surface and press lightly; they need light to germinate. Mist to keep soil moist but not wet; cover loosely with plastic to retain humidity until sprouts develop. Expect sprouts in 1-3 weeks. Once seedlings have true leaves (about 6-8 weeks old), transplant outdoors after the last frost. 

    Outdoors: Sow from early spring up until 8 weeks before the first frost in the fall. Broadcast seeds and gently press them into the soil surface. Keep the area moist until germination and water regularly until established. 

    Note: The Wild Patch is not responsible for buyer germination success. Liability of seller is limited to the cost of the item(s).


  • Many native plant seeds won’t sprout right away — they need certain conditions, like cold, warmth, or moisture, to break dormancy (their “sleeping” state). Germination codes are short labels (like A, B, C, etc.) that tell you what a seed needs to wake up and grow. For Spotted Bee Balm, a germination code "A" means that the seeds do not require a period of cold, moist stratification to break dormancy. A code of “D” means the seeds should be surface sown because they are very small or require light to break dormancy and germinate.

  • It sounds harder than it is. There are two easy ways to cold stratify your seeds: 

    Method 1: Direct sow the seeds outdoors in late fall or early winter. The natural cycles of freezing and thawing will provide the necessary cold, moist stratification the seeds need and the seeds will germinate the following spring.

    Method 2: This method mimics a natural cold cycle. Just place the seeds in a plastic ziplock bag in between a damp coffee filter or with a small amount of moistened peat moss or sand. Store the bag in the refrigerator for 30+ days. Then remove and sow the seeds.