Bergamot 'Cambridge Scarlet'

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; light afternoon shade helps in hot summers, provided air can circulate freely.

Water

Keep the root zone consistently moist, especially during summer. Water deeply during dry spells; avoid both prolonged drought and stagnant winter wet.

Soil

Fertile, humus-rich soil that holds moisture but drains freely; tolerates clay if it is not waterlogged.

Height

3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m)

Spread

1.5-3 ft (0.45-0.9 m), spreading farther over time

Flowers

Mid- to late summer; scarlet-red tubular flowers clustered in shaggy heads.

Foliage

Green, pointed, toothed leaves in opposite pairs on square stems; strongly aromatic when rubbed. Stems and leaves die back for winter.

Growth

Fast once established

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.2 ft (0.68 m)

3. After 2 years

   3 ft (1.1 m)

   full size

About 2 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Water at soil level during dry weather, before the soil dries out completely.
• Mulch in spring with compost or leaf mould, keeping it clear of emerging shoots.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak; excess nitrogen encourages floppy stems.
• Give plants open spacing and avoid crowding them against dense shrubs.
• Support tall stems early in exposed gardens.
• Divide every two or three years in spring, replanting vigorous outer sections and removing unwanted runners.

Pruning. Remove spent flower heads to encourage further flowering. Cut dead stems to ground level in late winter or early spring, or earlier if badly affected by mildew.

Early spring

Cut down old stems before new shoots become tall.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, water thoroughly and apply a moisture-conserving mulch.

Late spring

Install supports where needed and remove shoots spreading beyond the intended patch.

Summer

Water deeply during dry spells and check lower leaves for powdery mildew.

Mid- to late summer

Deadhead faded flowers to encourage additional blooms.

Autumn

Remove badly diseased foliage; leave healthy stems standing if you want winter structure and insect shelter.

• Plant in the middle or back of a sunny mixed border for upright scarlet accents.
• Combine with purple coneflowers and blue-flowered perennials for a strong summer colour contrast.
• Use repeated groups among ornamental grasses in a moisture-retentive prairie-style planting.
• Place in a pollinator border near a path where the flowers and aromatic leaves are easy to enjoy.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, English country, Pollinator garden, Wildlife garden, Hot border and New perennial (prairie).

Plant it with: Purple coneflower, Garden phlox, Black-eyed Susan, Culver's root, Switchgrass and Blue lobelia.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar for bees and butterflies, and attract hummingbirds in North America. Healthy hollow stems left standing can provide shelter for overwintering insects.

• Powdery mildew: this cultivar can be susceptible; maintain even soil moisture, improve spacing and remove badly affected foliage.
• Leaf scorch and early leaf drop: usually worse in dry soil; water deeply and mulch, with afternoon shade in hot climates.
• Floppy stems: avoid rich nitrogen feeds, provide more light and install discreet supports before flowering.
• Thinning or bare-centred clumps: divide in spring and replant healthy outer pieces in compost-enriched soil.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. Leaves and flowers of bee balm have culinary uses, but do not eat material treated with ornamental pesticides; large amounts may cause digestive upset.

• Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

  Usually has pale lavender to pink flowers rather than scarlet and is generally better suited to drier soils.

• Other scarlet bee balm cultivars (Monarda didyma and Monarda hybrids)

  Several have very similar red flower heads; height and mildew resistance vary, and a reliable nursery label is usually needed to confirm 'Cambridge Scarlet'.

• Bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia)

  A woody evergreen citrus tree with white flowers and yellow fruit, not a herbaceous perennial with scarlet flower heads.

Monarda honours the Spanish physician and botanist Nicolás Monardes, while bergamot refers to the foliage's scent resembling that of bergamot orange.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in spring, keeping rooted outer shoots. Take basal cuttings in spring; seed-grown plants will not reliably retain the cultivar's characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Monarda

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.