Is fireball bee balm a perennial?
Wonderfully compact, ‘Fireball’ blooms in mid-summer with compact spikes of bright, scarlet-red flowers. Bee Balm (Monarda) is a showy and vigorous old-fashioned garden perennial that blooms in summer.
Does bee balm keep flowering?
Bee balm is a perennial plant in the herb family. It’s bloom time begins in July and it will continue to bloom until late summer if it is regularly deadheaded. When you deadhead the plant, the nutrients, energy, and strength used to make new seeds generates into making more flowers instead.
How do you grow Monarda fireball?
Grow Monarda didyma ‘Fireball’ in moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Mulch around the roots with garden compost annually, and divide congested clumps in spring.
What is the difference between bee balm and Monarda?
Monarda, commonly called bee balm or bergamot, is also known by the names oswego tea and horsemint. Bergamot gets its name from the similarity it has in aroma to the bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia). Oil of bergamot comes from the bergamot orange and is used to flavor Earl Grey tea.
What is a good companion plant for bee balm?
Flower Companion Plants for Bee Balm New Moon Nursery recommends planting bee balm as a companion to daisylike flowers, such as black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and tall tickseed (Coreopsis tripteris), both of which are hardy within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 8.
How do you maintain bee balm?
How to Grow Bee Balm
- Keep soil evenly moist through the growing season.
- Add mulch around the plants to preserve the moisture in the soil and control weeds.
- Deadhead faded blooms to encourage the plant to re-bloom in late summer.
- After the first frost in the fall, cut stems back to about 2 inches above the soil.
Can I grow bee balm from seed?
You can grow bee balm from seed, but it establishes quicker when planted from divisions from a friend’s garden or purchased plants from your local garden center. Like other herbs in the mint family, bee balm is considered to be a bit invasive. It will easily self-sow and also spreads by underground rhizomes.