Monarda punctata, Spotted Bee Balm, Quart pot
Spotted Bee Balm, Monarda punctata
FS - PS, Hardy to Zone 3, blooms July - September, 2 - 2.5 x 1-2’ deer resistant Prefers sandy to WD, dry to medium, reseeds, short-lived perennial.
I always ask Tom to plant this lovely plant in fairly large groupings of ten plants or so, which became a major attraction. Why? Because they attracted profusions of fascinating insects during their long bloom cycle!
Their flowers are incredibly popular with pollinating insects, especially several species of predatory wasps who crave the protein-rich pollen. These giant wasps will not bother you! The males do not have stingers and the female prefers to use her ovipositor to paritisize pests!
M. punctata, is a great plant for attracting beneficial wasps to the garden to control grubs and pest caterpillars. Although it doesn’t spread aggressively, it does randomly reseed, which is what we want. Most pollinator visitors are after the rich nectar, although the pollen is also inadvertently deposited on their upper thorax (wasps).
The leaves have a minty scent, and like other Bee Balms can be dried and used in teas.
Attracts the Great Black and Great Golden Digger Wasps as well as many kinds of native specialist bees, beetles, flies, Crescent Butterflies and several species of moths. It is a host plant for moths.
Spotted Bee Balm, Monarda punctata
FS - PS, Hardy to Zone 3, blooms July - September, 2 - 2.5 x 1-2’ deer resistant Prefers sandy to WD, dry to medium, reseeds, short-lived perennial.
I always ask Tom to plant this lovely plant in fairly large groupings of ten plants or so, which became a major attraction. Why? Because they attracted profusions of fascinating insects during their long bloom cycle!
Their flowers are incredibly popular with pollinating insects, especially several species of predatory wasps who crave the protein-rich pollen. These giant wasps will not bother you! The males do not have stingers and the female prefers to use her ovipositor to paritisize pests!
M. punctata, is a great plant for attracting beneficial wasps to the garden to control grubs and pest caterpillars. Although it doesn’t spread aggressively, it does randomly reseed, which is what we want. Most pollinator visitors are after the rich nectar, although the pollen is also inadvertently deposited on their upper thorax (wasps).
The leaves have a minty scent, and like other Bee Balms can be dried and used in teas.
Attracts the Great Black and Great Golden Digger Wasps as well as many kinds of native specialist bees, beetles, flies, Crescent Butterflies and several species of moths. It is a host plant for moths.
Spotted Bee Balm, Monarda punctata
FS - PS, Hardy to Zone 3, blooms July - September, 2 - 2.5 x 1-2’ deer resistant Prefers sandy to WD, dry to medium, reseeds, short-lived perennial.
I always ask Tom to plant this lovely plant in fairly large groupings of ten plants or so, which became a major attraction. Why? Because they attracted profusions of fascinating insects during their long bloom cycle!
Their flowers are incredibly popular with pollinating insects, especially several species of predatory wasps who crave the protein-rich pollen. These giant wasps will not bother you! The males do not have stingers and the female prefers to use her ovipositor to paritisize pests!
M. punctata, is a great plant for attracting beneficial wasps to the garden to control grubs and pest caterpillars. Although it doesn’t spread aggressively, it does randomly reseed, which is what we want. Most pollinator visitors are after the rich nectar, although the pollen is also inadvertently deposited on their upper thorax (wasps).
The leaves have a minty scent, and like other Bee Balms can be dried and used in teas.
Attracts the Great Black and Great Golden Digger Wasps as well as many kinds of native specialist bees, beetles, flies, Crescent Butterflies and several species of moths. It is a host plant for moths.