Monarda bradburiana

Monarda bradburiana: Freckled Pink Before the Summer Rush

Eastern Bee Balm shows up early, before the rest of the bee balms have even found their keys. Pale pink to white flowers with purple freckles over purple-tinged bracts. THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE BUMBLEBEE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Monarda bradburiana
• Common Name: Eastern Bee Balm, Bradbury's Bee Balm
• Height: 30–60 cm (1–2 ft)
• Spread: 30–60 cm (1–2 ft)
• Flowers: Pale pink to white with purple spots on the lower lip, in rounded heads 4–8 cm (1.5–3 in) across, over purple-tinged bracts
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to June)
• Foliage: Greyish-green, aromatic, stalkless leaves that hug the stem
• Features: Rabbit resistant, tolerates dry soil, better mildew resistance than many bee balms

Where to Plant: Its short size and early bloom suit the front or middle of a prairie-style border, a rock garden, a dry slope or a woodland edge with some sun. It tolerates dry soil, so it's a good fit for lean, open spots.

Companion Plants: Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby' opens magenta flowers at 30 to 35 cm in April and May, just before this bee balm begins. Tradescantia 'Little Doll' adds blue flowers at 25 to 30 cm from June to August. Deschampsia cespitosa brings a fine, airy texture at 60 to 90 cm, with flowers from June to August and seed heads into fall. Plant this trio in full sun or part sun.

Plant Care: Plant it in full sun to part sun, in average to dry, well-drained soil. It handles clay, loam and thin rocky soil as long as water doesn't sit around the roots. Water through the first season, then only in long droughts. Give it room for air to move, which helps keep the leaves clean. It may self-seed and slowly form a colony, so pull extras in spring if you want it to stay put. Cut the stems back after flowering for a neater look, or in late fall or early spring. Divide in spring if the clump gets crowded.

History: Eastern bee balm grows wild in rocky open woods, glades, savannas and roadsides, mostly in the central and southern United States, and is usually the first Monarda to flower in the wild. The species name honours John Bradbury (1768–1823), an English botanist who travelled the American Midwest collecting plants.

Final Thoughts: It tolerates dry soil, shrugs off deer and rabbits and keeps mildew mostly at bay. Plant it where you can see it first thing. COFFEE WITH A VIEW.