Orange bee balm plant how to#

The racemes - tall, slender stalks- are filled with whorled flowers in lavender, pink, purple, white, salmon, crimson and ed options. Native to North America, monarda thrives in zones 3 to 9 as a perennial staple. The name wild bergamot is attributed to its fragrant scent, which is similar to the bergamot orange, a citrus fruit that is used as a flavoring for Earl Grey tea. The flower is edible and used in high brow culinary settings as a garnish and in salads for robust flavor notes. The scent is reminiscent of the bergamot orange, although this is not the bergamot used in Earl Grey tea. Keep the seeds above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Spots typically start on lower leaves but can spread. Powdery orange spores rub off of the underside of infected leaves and can be seen with a white tissue paper. Raised orange pustules on the underside of the leaves. Dead brown blotches on severely infected areas.

Orange bee balm plant how to#

How to plant: Propagate by seed, cuttings. Special uses: cut flowers - The lemon variety of bee balm is a long-lasting cut flower. hummingbirds - Rich nectar source for ruby-throated hummingbirds. Place the pots or tray under lights, and water them with a spray bottle. Small yellow spots that merge to form large yellow areas on upper side of leaf. Leaves, stems, and roots carry a delicious aromatic orange-like perfume when crushed. Place the seeds on the surface and cover with a bare sprinkling of potting mixthe seeds need light to germinate. Additionally, monarda has risen in popularity as a garden flower due to being simply irresistible to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies in addition to its interesting shape and profound beauty. Sow four or five seeds in each pot, or two seeds in each seedling cell. Monarda is still commonly used in this fashion by medicinal herbalists today. Commonly called Oswego Tea, Horsemint or bergamot, monarda is historically known to be used by Native American tribes and early colonists to make teas, tinctures and healing salves. Monarda, also known as Bee Balm, wild oregano or bergamot, is a genus of flowering plants rooted in the mint family.