Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best in sandy soils with consistent moisture. Tolerates somewhat poor soils and drought. Remove spent flowers to improve plant appearance and possibly to prolong bloom. Spreads by runners to form large clumps, but is not considered to be too aggressive.
Monarda punctata, commonly called spotted beebalm, dotted mint or horsemint, is a clump-forming perennial that is native to dryish soils on prairies, fields, open sandy woods and coastal plains in eastern North America including Missouri. ‘Fantasy’ is a new cultivar that grows to 24-28” tall on square stems clad with aromatic, toothed, lanceolate to oblong leaves (to 3.5” long). Tubular, two-lipped, pale yellow flowers with purple spotting appear on the same stem in two or more tiered, stem-ringing clusters, each cluster being subtended by a whorl of showy, lavender-pink, leafy bracts. Flowers bloom in summer. Flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, particularly when plants are massed. Flowers, stems and leaves are aromatic. Some monardas are commonly called beebalm in reference to a prior use of the leaves as a balm for bee stings. Genus name honors Spanish physician and botanist, Nicholas Monardes (1493-1588).
Powdery mildew can be a serious problem with some of the monardas, particularly in crowded garden areas with poor air circulation. Susceptibility to foliar diseases in general increases if plants are grown in dry soils or are allowed to dry out. Rust is also an occasional problem.
Perennial borders, cottage gardens, meadows, wild gardens and herb gardens. Also effective in containers. Interesting addition to butterfly gardens.
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Missouri Botanical Garden
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