
Light Needs

Mature Height

Mature Spread

Growing Zones
It's a fragrant plant to attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and friends who want to stop and smell the … Pardon My Purple Bee Balm (Monarda didyma). But that's only one sense this bee balm will delight. The bright fuchsia-colored blooms reach nearly three inches across on a compact, foot-tall plant. The globe-like flowers of the Monarda didyma or Bergamot are a fuchsia-purple color and have tubular petals near the inside, and the outer petals are broad and flat.This is a mounded, upright, clump-forming plant. Pardon My Purple Bee Balm seldom grows any taller or wider than 12 inches.
One of the best ways to grow Pardon My Purple bee balm is as a front border of a garden bed, where it frames taller plants behind it with its bright blooms and invites pollinators to your garden. Bee Balm is a staple of butterfly gardens, and rightfully so, but Pardon My Purple Bee Balm will be right at home in any space in need of lovely flowers and an easy-care plant. The flowers grow on tall and sturdy branched stems that are also adorned with green, semi-glossy foliage that has a pronounced midrib and narrows to a point. Pollinators will visit the fragrant flowers, but deer and rabbits generally keep away.
Bee balm is native to eastern North America, growing mostly in moist conditions such as stream banks or thickets, so the plants fare best with an even supply of moisture in zones 4 through 8. The perennial plant has smooth green leaves and dark fuchsia-to-purple blooms in mid-summer through late summer. It's perfect as a filler in containers, mixed perennial bed, as a border plant or in mass plantings packed with color. Include in a container to display the summer-blooming flowers on a porch or patio.
Pardon My Purple Bee Balm Care
Plant Pardon My Purple in full sun to partial shade. Soil should be fertile and moist but well-drained. Bee Balm prefers consistently damp soil, so water before the top layer of soil dries out. Mulching and planting in soil that retains some moisture helps give your bee balm even water. Your bee balm needs little fertilizer to bloom, but you can add an occasional all-purpose fertilizer in late spring or early summer. Fertilize the plant during the spring using balanced plant food.
Just remove flowers as they fade to encourage more blooming and prune the plants to nearly ground level after they have finished blooming. You might need to divide your bee balm every three of four years.
Pardon My Purple Bee Balm Spacing
This plant has an upright, clump-forming habit that will reach 10 to 12 inches tall and 7 to 10 inches wide. Leave enough space around plants so air can circulate, reducing the chance of powdery mildew. Space plants 8 to 11 inches apart for a full look in the garden. Plant bee balm near the front of a container with plants taller than one foot. When planting several bee balms for a hedge or mass planting, space the plants about 12 to 18 inches apart.
Pardon My Purple Bee Balm Information
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 - 8 |
Plant Type: Perennials |
Light Exposure: Partial Sun to Full Sun (At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight) |
Mature Height: 10 - 12 Inches |
Mature Spread: 10 - 12 Inches |
Spacing: 10 - 12 Inches |
Habit: Upright |
Flower Color(s): Purple |
Flower Description: |
Bloom Period: Mid to Late Summer |
Foliage Type: Herbaceous |
Foliage Color(s): Green |
Foliage Description: |
Seasonal Interest: Summer Flowering |
Watering: Average |
Resists: Deer, Rabbit, Disease |
Tolerates: Drought |
Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds |
Container Role: Filler |
Uses: Borders, Containers, Mass Planting, Wildlife Gardens |
Features: Attracts Pollinators, Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Low Maintenance, Native to North America |
Brand: Proven Winners |
Common Name: Pardon My Purple Bee Balm |
Other Name(s): |
Scientific Name: MONARDA `PARDON MY PURPLE` |
- SKU:
- 1231005937-pc
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.

Also Known As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 6 months - 1 year
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts

Also Known As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts

Also Known As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts

Also Known As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 3 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons

Also Known As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 - 4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons

Also Known As:
#5 Container
5 Gallon
Plant Age:
~3-4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 20" - 60"
Pot Size:
~11" H x 10 1/2” W
Volume:
3.5 - 4 gallons

We stand behind our plants with industry-leading guarantees to give you peace of mind.
We want your plants to arrive in great condition! If you notice any issues upon delivery, contact us within 3 days.
Starting January 1, 2025 all bushes, perennials & trees purchased come with an extended 1-year warranty for added confidence. If your plant dies due to a health issue within a year, we’ll make it right.

Pre-ordered plants are scheduled to ship in Spring 2025. We carefully plan our shipping dates based on your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone to ensure optimal planting conditions upon arrival. Want it sooner/later? Reach out, and we'll try our best to accommodate.
Estimated ship week for pre-ordered plants will ship based on growing zones as shown below.
Growing Zone | Estimated Ship Week |
---|---|
Zone 10 | March 31th |
Zone 9 | March 31st |
Zone 8 | April 7th |
Zone 7 | April 14th |
Zone 6b | April 21st |
Zone 6a | April 28th |
Zone 5b | May 5th |
Zone 5a | May 12th |
Zone 4 | May 19th |
Zone 3 | May 26th |
Note: These are only estimated ship dates. Plants may ship out later depending on weather & growing conditions of the plant.
Note: Only plants indicated as pre-order will ship as shown above. All other plants and hard goods will ship as normal.
Plants that are currently in stock typically ship within 2-7 business days after your order is placed.
Plant Addicts ships to the lower 48 states within the U.S. Unfortunately, we do not currently ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or internationally.
This plant cannot be shipped to the following states: Idaho, AK, HI. These restrictions apply only to this specific plant due to agricultural regulations or other limitations. Other plants may still be available for shipping to these states.
If you have any questions about shipping restrictions, feel free to reach out to our team!