Sugar Buzz® Grape Gumball Bee Balm

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

1-2 Feet

Mature Spread

1 Foot

Growing Zones

4 to 8

The Sugar Buzz™ series of Bee Balm is a variety bred to have fabulous disease resistance, while producing a profusion of flower heads per plant. Grape Gumball is an intensely juicy purple color that lives up to these expectations. The flower stems naturally branch without any pinching back of the plants early in the season, making this perennial much more bushy and dense than older varieties. Low maintenance is definitely the buzz word for this Bee Balm.

Grape Gumball Bee Balm is a prolific attractor of beneficial pollinators and Hummingbirds. The disease resistance bred into the Sugar Buzz™ means that this Bee Balm will remain blooming much later in the summer without succumbing to the usual mildew and rusts that Bee Balm is known for. Deer resistant. Bee Balm is a great addition to a cottage garden or a meadow planting and works great in a mixed seasonal container as the “filler” or “thriller” plant.

Sugar Buzz® Grape Gumball Bee Balm Care

Bee Balm will take as much sun as you can give it. Part shade in either the early morning or late afternoon is acceptable and preferable in the hottest of the hardiness zones to give these hard working nectar producers a rest during the hottest time of the day. Well-drained and moist soil is required to keep root rots from forming over the winter months. Average to poor soil is fine. Heavy clay soils will cause Bee Balm to have wet feet over the winter. 

Grape Gumball Bee Balm will benefit from annual fertilizing with a well-balanced, slow release food early in the spring. Cutting back the previous years’ growth early in the spring will make way for the new, vigorous growth. Mulching in the fall will help insulate the plant crown from harsh winter temperatures. Organic compost or fallen leaves make wonderful mulches. Dividing is recommended every 3-4 years. Bee Balm tends to expand at the edges and get bare spots in the middle of the plant. Dividing regularly will help the plants to stay full and dense.

Sugar Buzz® Grape Gumball Bee Balm Spacing

Grape Gumball Bee Balm is a relatively compact size. A mature height of 20-24 inches and a spread of 16-20 inches will make this perennial easy to add to established gardens. Space the plants at 16 inches, center on center, to ensure good air circulation.