Monarda 'Purple Rooster'

Monarda 'Purple Rooster': Royal Purple, No Stakes Required

'Purple Rooster' struts around the garden in royal purple and crows loud enough to wake the hummingbirds. Big, shaggy heads on stems that never need a stake. COCKY? THAT'S RICH COMING FROM YOU.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Monarda didyma 'Purple Rooster'
• Common Name: Bee Balm
• Height: 90–100 cm (3–3.25 ft)
• Spread: 65–80 cm (26–31 in)
• Flowers: Large, shaggy heads of royal purple
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to early fall (July to September)
• Foliage: Dark green and aromatic, with better powdery mildew resistance than most older bee balms
• Features: Rabbit resistant, fragrant foliage, sturdy stems that don't need staking

Where to Plant: Put it in the middle or back of a sunny border, in a cottage garden or in a pollinator patch. It also works in rain gardens and moist meadows where the soil stays damp.

Companion Plants: Paeonia 'Cora Louise' opens white flowers at 60 to 70 cm in June and July, giving the bed a strong start before the purple bee balm takes over. Echinacea angustifolia adds slim pink coneflowers at 30 to 60 cm in June and July. Along the front, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides flowers blue at 20 to 30 cm from August to October. It's a good mix for full sun or part sun.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in fertile, evenly moist, well-drained soil. Give it room for air to circulate, and water at the base in dry weather. Dry, stressed plants are the ones that get mildew. Deadhead to extend the bloom. Cut the stems to the ground in late fall or early spring. It spreads quickly by shallow runners. Divide every two or three years in early spring, or simply trim back the outer edge of the clump to keep it in bounds.

History: 'Purple Rooster' was bred by David Nedveck of The Flower Factory in Wisconsin. Its species, scarlet bee balm or Oswego tea, is native to eastern North America, including southern Ontario, and was used by Indigenous peoples and later by settlers as a tea plant.

Final Thoughts: Deer and rabbits won't touch it and the leaves smell great. Plant a few and let it rule the roost. THE HENHOUSE IS NOW A PENTHOUSE.