Pardon My Pink Bee Balm

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

10-12 Inches

Mature Spread

10-12 Inches

Growing Zones

4 to 8

A tiny plant with big pink flowers: 'Pardon My Pink' Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) will brighten your garden all summer long. Bee balm is known to attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. You'll delight in watching butterflies use the large flower heads as landing pads and the hummingbirds making their way around the slender, tube-like petals. Be sure to plant Pardon My Pink where you can watch all the activity and see the colorful blooms.

Bee balm is native to North America and grows well in zones 4 through 8. Most monarda shrubs grow to between 2 and 5 feet, but 'Pardon My Pink' Bee Balm reaches no more than a foot high and wide. It is the perfect filler for a butterfly or hummingbird plant container. Be sure to place it where you can enjoy its fragrant leaves and flowers. It's deer resistant, too, and Pardon My Pink has been hybridized to resist mildew.

Pardon My Pink Bee Balm Care

'Pardon My Pink' Bee Balm is a versatile native that can grow in full or part sun. The plant prefers rich soil, and you can fertilize it each spring with an organic balanced fertilizer or by adding a layer of compost each spring. It is said to be a great border plant near vegetable gardens, but it also can have a place in nearly any area of your landscape. Removing dead blooms encourages new ones throughout spring and summer. You also can remove a few blooms before they fade and use them in cut flower arrangements.

Pardon My Pink Bee Balm Spacing

Space 'Pardon My Pink' Bee Balm shrubs about a foot from each other or other plants to give them room to grow and air to circulate.

Interesting Facts: -Growing monarda near tomatoes in the garden is said to improve the health and flavor of the tomatoes. -Monarda is the natural source of the antiseptic Thymol, the primary active ingredient in some kinds of mouthwash. -Monarda didyma has a long history of being used by some tribes of Native Americans as a medicinal plant to cure skin infections, minor wounds and even excessive cases of gas.