Common Name: Bee Balm
An improvement on the original, ‘Pardon My Lavender II’ replaces ‘Pardon My Lavender’ in the catalog. Compared to the original, this has more vigor, is more polished, and has better disease resistance.
No room for the tall, bushy, traditional Bee Balm in your garden? Now there’s a compact selection that’s easy to tuck into the front of your sunny border and combination containers. Reaching just a foot tall at maturity, this compact selection forms a well-branched clump of deep green, glossy foliage.
In midsummer, lavender purple flowers sit just at the top of the foliage. Though the plant may be smaller, the flowers are the same size as taller selections, measuring a full 2½-3″ across. They add a cool splash of color to the border in high summer.
This new selection also offers good resistance to powdery mildew, a problem with many older Bee Balms. Just provide good air circulation, sunshine, and plenty of water and these plants will thrive!
Monarda is native to eastern North America, so it is easy to grow and it multiplies quickly. The flowers’ sweet nectar attracts scores of hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees to the garden. The aromatic foliage smells like mint when crushed and is often used to flavor teas.
Attracts bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Deer resistant.