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Bee Balm

Monarda (mo-NAR-da)

Family: Lamiaceae Native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

'Raspberry Wine' beebalm is a herbaceous perennial in the mint family (Lamiaceae). The raspberry-red blooms appear in July and August and are a favorite of hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. It is not too picky about the soil type as long as it is well-drained and moisture-retentive. Plant in full sun to partial shade and give it room to spread. Plants can be divided as need in the spring to maintain size. The leaves of this monarda have better powdery mildew resistance, but keep the soil moist and give it good air circulation to help prevent the problem. This is a very showy plant for the border, pollinator garden, native garden or other moist sites. They can also be grown in containers. Insect Pests, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: In general, the biggest problems are foliar diseases/ fungal leaf diseases, rust, and powdery mildew. Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' is much less susceptible to powdery mildew than other cultivars. More information on Monarda .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 50 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Occasionally Wet
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The fragrant, minty leaves are 3 to 6 inches long and ovate to ovate-lanceolate in shape. They are simple, opposite and margins are serrated.
Flower color
Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Lipped; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The globular flower heads are a dense cluster of small tubular 2-lipped flowers that give the appearance of a mop head. They are fragrant, showy and have a raspberry-red color. Bloom time is July and August.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
upright and square stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America
Wildlife value
This plant attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Pollinators
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves
Fruit type
Capsule

Edibility

Leaves can be used in teas

Uses (ethnobotany)

Leaves were used to help with bee stings

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Naturalized Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#red flowers #herbaceous perennial #fragrant leaves #full sun tolerant #hummingbird friendly #rain garden #cottage garden #deer resistant #rabbit resistant #showy flowers #border planting #summer flowers #flowers late spring #clay soils tolerant #stream banks #butterfly friendly #partial shade tolerant #black walnut toxicity tolerant #container plant #wet soils tolerant #cutting garden #herb garden #woodland #pond
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Black Walnut; Deer; Rabbits; Wet Soil

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.