Monarda didyma 'Raspberry Wine' - Bee balm
DESCRIPTION
Bee balmMonarda didyma 'Raspberry Wine'
Wine red flowers open from buds that resemble raspberries. A stunning and long flowering perennial that makes a great cut flower and the petals are edible. 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. Attractive, dark green foliage exhibits excellent mildew resistance.
BENEFITS
- Attracts Hummingbirds and butterflies
- Deer and rabbit resistant
- Edible flowers, also a great cut flower
- Attracts beneficial insects, birds eat the seed
- Blooms for 4 weeks or more
- Disease resistant
NATIVE INFO
Native Range
Openings and moist thickets; Maine to Michigan south to Ohio and West Virginia, then down the mountains to northern Georgia.
Map Credit: The Biota of North America
Map Key: Green (native), Teal (native, adventive), Blue (present), Yellow (present & rare), Red (extinct)
Interesting Facts
Nectar is an easily digested sugar that provides energy for creatures with high metabolism rates. Did you know the heart rate of a hummingbird is 1,260 beats per minute?
GROWING TIPS
Place in a sunny area with good air circulation. Thin clumps to improve air circulation after several years if they get too crowded. Remove old flower heads the first few weeks plants are blooming to prolong bloom. After that, let flowers go to seed so birds and other creatures can eat the seed. Leave the stems standing in winter to provide homes for beneficial insects.