Wild bergamot

Sun

Full sun to light shade; flowering and resistance to mildew are generally better in full sun.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Established plants tolerate some drought, but prolonged dryness can cause lower leaves to deteriorate.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, loamy or clay soil; tolerates relatively poor soil but dislikes prolonged winter waterlogging.

Height

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m), expanding farther over time

Flowers

Summer to early autumn; lavender to pinkish-purple flower heads, occasionally pale pink or white.

Foliage

Opposite, toothed, grey-green to green leaves on square stems; strongly aromatic when rubbed.

Growth

Moderate to fast; forms widening colonies where conditions suit it.

Care needed

Medium

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

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

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

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

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.8 ft (0.55 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.6 ft (0.8 m)

4. After 3 years

   3 ft (0.9 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 at soil level during establishment and extended dry spells; avoid repeatedly wetting the leaves.
• Allow space between plants for airflow to reduce powdery mildew.
• Apply a light layer of compost in spring on poor soil; avoid heavy feeding, which encourages floppy growth.
• Mulch lightly to conserve moisture, keeping mulch away from the crown.
• Divide crowded clumps every 3-4 years and remove unwanted spreading shoots.
• Support tall stems early if growing in partial shade or exposed conditions.

Pruning. Remove spent flower heads if you want to limit self-seeding; this may also encourage a little repeat flowering. Leave healthy stems standing through winter, then cut them back near ground level in late winter or early spring before new growth develops.

Late winter

Cut back old stems, leaving some hollow stems standing where practical for overwintering insects.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps as growth starts; water thoroughly after replanting.

Late spring

Thin crowded shoots and install discreet supports if stems are likely to flop.

Summer

Water during prolonged drought and check lower leaves for powdery mildew.

Late summer

Deadhead to reduce seed production, or leave some heads for seed and winter structure.

Autumn

Remove badly mildewed fallen foliage and mark any spreading clumps that need dividing in spring.

• Plant in drifts through a sunny meadow-style border with coneflowers and upright grasses.
• Use in the middle of a cottage border, where neighbouring plants can hide sparse lower stems.
• Combine with black-eyed Susans for a summer contrast of lavender and yellow.
• Place beside a path where the aromatic foliage can be reached without stepping into the planting.

Garden styles it suits: Native meadow, New perennial (prairie), Cottage garden, Wildlife garden, Pollinator garden and Sensory garden.

Plant it with: Purple coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, Little bluestem, Switchgrass, Butterfly weed and Blazing star.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar for many bees and butterflies, and hummingbirds visit within their American range. Seed heads offer some food for small birds, while retained stems can provide shelter for insects.

• Powdery mildew: give plants sun and good airflow, water at soil level, and divide crowded clumps; remove badly affected debris.
• Flopping stems: avoid rich feeding and deep shade; support stems early or divide congested plants.
• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage or move plants out of winter-wet ground.
• Unwanted spreading: lift excess rhizomes in spring and remove seedlings while small.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Leaves and flowers have traditional culinary uses, but aromatic plant material may cause stomach upset if eaten in quantity; concentrated essential oils should not be treated as equivalent to the garden plant.

• Scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma)

  The wild species usually has bright red flowers and greener foliage and favours moister ground. Garden hybrids come in many colours, so colour alone cannot reliably identify cultivated plants.

• Spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata)

  Has several tiers of pale yellow, purple-spotted flowers surrounded by conspicuous pinkish or whitish bracts, rather than wild bergamot's rounded lavender flower heads.

Monarda honours the Spanish physician Nicolás Monardes, fistulosa means hollow or tubular, and bergamot refers to the foliage's citrus-like scent rather than any relationship to bergamot orange.

Propagation. Divide clumps in spring, keeping roots and several healthy shoots on each division. Sow seed outdoors in autumn or use a cold, moist treatment before spring sowing; named selections should be propagated by division to preserve their characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Monarda fistulosa

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alabama, Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, British Columbia, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho and Illinois.

Measured

Average height 89 cm.

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