Jacob Cline bee balm

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade helps in hot climates, provided the planting has good airflow.

Water

Keep the root zone consistently moist, especially during summer. It tolerates brief wet spells better than drought, but not prolonged stagnant water.

Soil

Humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil with good drainage; tolerates clay improved with organic matter and a range of soil pH.

Height

3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m), spreading farther over time through underground stems

Flowers

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

Foliage

Opposite, pointed, toothed green leaves on square stems; strongly aromatic when crushed. Top growth dies back in winter.

Growth

Fast in moist, fertile soil

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Cold hardy
• Heat tolerant
• Disease resistant
• 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

   2.5 ft (0.76 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.2 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

Native to

the US and Canada

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during dry spells rather than allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages floppy growth.
• Mulch with 2 in (5 cm) of organic material, keeping it clear of emerging shoots.
• Allow space between clumps for airflow and use a discreet support if stems lean in exposed positions.
• Divide every 2-3 years, keeping vigorous outer sections and discarding tired centres.
• Remove unwanted runners each spring to keep the clump within its allotted space.

Pruning. Remove spent flower heads to encourage further flowering. Cut dead stems to near ground level in late winter or early spring; remove badly mildewed growth in autumn instead.

Early spring

Cut down remaining dead stems before new shoots grow tall.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, water thoroughly, and add compost and mulch.

Late spring

Remove wandering shoots and install supports where needed.

Summer

Water during dry weather and check lower leaves for powdery mildew.

Mid- to late summer

Deadhead faded blooms if you want to encourage additional flowers.

Autumn

Remove diseased foliage; leave healthy stems standing for winter habitat if desired.

• Plant in groups through the middle or back of a mixed border for a strong band of summer red.
• Combine with purple coneflowers and tall garden phlox in a sunny, moisture-retentive cottage border.
• Use beside a pond or rain garden on moist ground above the permanently waterlogged margin.
• Place near a seat or path where you can watch visiting pollinators, leaving room for its spreading clumps.

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

Plant it with: Purple coneflower, Tall garden phlox, Joe-Pye weed, Culver's root, Black-eyed Susan and Switchgrass.

Wildlife: Flowers attract bees, butterflies and, in North America, hummingbirds. Retained stems can provide shelter for overwintering insects.

• Powdery mildew: allow good airflow, keep roots evenly moist, and remove badly affected foliage; this cultivar is resistant rather than immune.
• Drought stress and scorched leaves: water deeply and mulch; provide afternoon shade in hot districts.
• Flopping stems: avoid rich nitrogen feeds, give adequate sunlight, and support exposed clumps before flowering.
• Crowded clumps with bare centres: divide in spring and replant healthy outer sections.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No part is recognised as seriously poisonous, although eating large quantities may cause digestive upset; avoid giving pets concentrated essential oils.

Where it spreads. Can spread aggressively by underground stems in moist, fertile gardens in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and temperate Australia. This is primarily a garden-containment issue, not a claim that the cultivar is officially listed as invasive; remove runners or grow it in a contained bed.

• Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

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

• Spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata)

  Has tiers of pale yellow, purple-spotted flowers surrounded by conspicuous pinkish bracts, rather than large scarlet terminal heads.

• Other scarlet bee balm cultivars (Monarda didyma cultivars)

  Several have very similar red flowers. Height and mildew resistance offer clues, but a reliable nursery label is usually needed to confirm 'Jacob Cline'.

Monarda honours the Spanish physician and botanist Nicolás Monardes, while the common name bergamot refers to the foliage's citrus-like scent.

Propagation. Divide clumps in spring or take basal cuttings from young shoots in spring. Seedlings will not reliably retain the characteristics of 'Jacob Cline'.

Accepted botanical name

Monarda didyma

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Masachusettes, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York.

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