Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa)
Bee Balm is a favorite nectar source for many hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and moths (Illinoiswildflowers.info). Bee Balm is one of the best forage plants for bumble bees because its flowers open continuously throughout the day, providing an ongoing nectar source (Heather Holm). It is a host plant for the specialist bees Dufourea monardae, Perdita gerhandi, and Protandrena abdominalis (Holm, 2017, p 172) (Johnson and Colla, 2023). Researchers have also recently observed sand wasps (Bicyrtes) using Bee Balm extensively for nectar. These wasps are voracious predators of the brown marmorated stinkbug, a significant pest of orchards and vegetable crops (Xerces.org). Bee Balm is recommended as a monarch nectar source (Xerces.org) and a preferred pollinator plant by Xerces Society (Xerces.org). On top of all that, it is the host plant to 13 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org). Mammalian herbivores typically avoid this plant as a food source.
Photo credit: Matt Levin
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial shade
Soil Moisture: Medium-wet, Medium, Dry
Height: 4 feet
Plant Spacing: 2-3 feet
Bloom Time: July - September
Bloom Color: Purple
Advantages: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant, Great landscaping plant
Host Plant: Approximately 13 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)
Specialist Bee: Black Sweat Bee Dufourea monardae, Perdita gerhandi, and Protandrena abdominalis (Holm, 2017, p 172) (Johnson and Colla, 2023)
Beneficial Insect: Soldier Beetles
Complementary Plants: Flowering Spurge, Swamp Milkweed, Canada anemone, Nodding Onion
Resource: Holm, Heather. Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide. Pollination Press LLC, 2017
Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023
