Balm

What You Need to Know About the Bee Balm Plant

What You Need to Know About the Bee Balm Plant
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  • Michael Williams

The bee balm plant is a North American native, thriving in woodland areas. Also known by its botanical name of Monarda, bee balm is very attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The bee balm flower has an open, daisy-like shape, with tubular petals in shades of red, pink, purple and white.

  1. How do you care for a bee balm plant?
  2. Does bee balm spread?
  3. What to do with bee balm after it blooms?
  4. What is bee balm good for?
  5. Does bee balm repel mosquitoes?
  6. Do hummingbirds like bee balm?
  7. Is bee balm toxic to dogs?
  8. What can I plant next to bee balm?
  9. Is bee balm poisonous?
  10. Does bee balm reseed itself?
  11. How do you keep bee balm blooming?
  12. Is bee balm invasive?

How do you care for a bee balm plant?

Watering: Bee balm can tolerate some drought, but prefers moist soil. Water regularly once or twice a week during hot spells. Avoid overhead watering to reduce mildew and fungal disease.

Does bee balm spread?

Bee balms spread rapidly via underground stems or stolons. In addition, the centers of the clumps often die out within a few years. To control their spread and rejuvenate the plants, it's usually necessary to dig and divide bee balms every 2 to 3 years. ... Dig up the plants as soon as they emerge from the ground.

What to do with bee balm after it blooms?

Once a stem has finished flowering, trim it back down to the ground or pinch it off. This will encourage the plant to send up another blossoming stem. In the fall or winter, you should prune bee balm after it has died back. Take it back down to just above the soil's surface.

What is bee balm good for?

Bee balm is antimicrobial and soothing, so it's often used to treat colds and flu. It also has a soothing effect on the digestive tract and helps to treat indigestion, bloating and nausea.

Does bee balm repel mosquitoes?

Bee Balm (Bergamot) – This beautiful blooming plant has many medicinal and culinary uses – mosquito repellent among them. And unlike many of the other plants listed here, bee balm works to repel mosquitoes not only when crushed but while alive and thriving in the garden.

Do hummingbirds like bee balm?

Keep the soil surrounding bee balm moist but not soggy. This perennial plant produces vivid cardinal-colored flowers in the summer months. The bright red color of the flowers and the sweet nectar they contain attract hummingbirds in droves.

Is bee balm toxic to dogs?

It contains cardiac glycoside, a toxin that can cause severe heart problems in pets. Instead, try: Bee Balm.

What can I plant next to bee balm?

Bee balm is a perfect cottage garden plant. I like to let it ramble though a perennial flower border next to tall garden phlox, rudbeckia, roses, and peonies.

Is bee balm poisonous?

It's leaves are used to make tea. Bee balm is not poisonous for humans. In fact, eating the leaves will not harm a cat, dog or other animals in any way. Despite not being poisonous to animals, eating parts of any plant can cause digestive upset to an animal.

Does bee balm reseed itself?

Bee balm grows in a clump with 3-foot tall stalks. Most bee balm varieties are perennials and will grow in average to well-drained soil in full sun. ... 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.

How do you keep bee balm blooming?

How to Grow Bee Balm

  1. Keep soil evenly moist through the growing season.
  2. Add mulch around the plants to preserve the moisture in the soil and control weeds.
  3. Deadhead faded blooms to encourage the plant to re-bloom in late summer.
  4. After the first frost in the fall, cut stems back to about 2 inches above the soil.

Is bee balm invasive?

Bee balm propagates by rhizomes, or runners, that spread under the ground to produce new shoots. ... This means your bee balm will eventually be far from where you planted it. So if you are asking the question, “is bee balm invasive,” the answer would be yes, under suitable conditions. Luckily, bee balm is very forgiving.

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