Bee Balm - Monarda Didyma - Complete Grow and Care Guide

Bee Balm is a perennial wildflower with gorgeous red blooms that attracts hummingbirds. In this video I show you everything you need to know to grow this plant. I cover growing conditions, soil requirements, propagating from seed, propagating from division / cutting rhizomes.

I also show you what pollinators you will attract if you grow a stand of bee balm, and compare my observations with university studies.

For a detailed article on this particular plant, Monarda didyma, click below:

For how to save seed from this plant;

Info on OTHER SPECIES OF MONARDA
If you like this plant, and want to grow other species that are similar to attract more hummingbirds, please click on the article below;

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[juliejones]

I absolutely adore the chunky bumble bee flying away at the end of the video!😂

[debmunson]

Be sure to leave the dry seed heads through the fall and winter because the birds will land on them and get the seed. Goldfinches were on mine in April getting the seed.

[kristeetrisler]

I am honestly writing this because for the VERY first time my son watched the whole video!
We live in Western NY and he will be able to earn a cub scout badge for things he is doing and learning.
Thank you sir. I will literally be dividing my monarda up as I didn't know you could split it up so easily.

[SisterShirley]

One of the first plants I bought when I moved into my dream home
Ordered from Spring Hill
A dozen years later they are still growing strong
I've divided them
Added to my landscape in other areas
And given some away
When I want to tidy up a space I simply water the soil and gently pull them and regroup them
It's a plant that keeps on giving

[katiekane]

I've been looking at a few native patches on the side of my dirt road. They get mowed by the county so I don't feel bad about taking some. Thanks for the vid, I feel more confident about digging up a piece.

[shadyman]

Kinda new to flowers, usually growing veg. Over the years, I’m learning more. This video was a great source of info for me...Thanks!😊

[venicelight]

Gorgeous flowers, beautifully photographed... thoroughly informative, greatly inspiring! Thank you!!

[seamus]

Always great information from this guy. Lots of tips and well made videos.

[kerrilea]

I love bee balm! When I was a kid I called it the fireworks 🎆 flower.

[planetaustraliachannel]

I'll live in Australia and I have grown bee balm I brought the seed at first it was quite difficult with the germination but now I've got it it's going wild and it lives with the black sugar cane and it's just about to Bloom 😊. It's just such an amazing herb to watch grow to see how it develops it's so beautiful and I just get a buzz working with it looking at it it's wonderful and I can't wait to see what colour flower. I got. thank you I found your YouTube very informative very relaxing.😊

[thurstonhowelliii]

I saw some of these in the Smokey Mountains a long time ago. I was impressed and took a lot of pictures, but had no idea what they were. I’m going to put some in my yard soon

[Irishjay-gupb]

Yeah, I have the purple Bee Balm, I want to try different varieties this year, as the purple Bee Balm is super hardy, spreads, and blooms from Spring to Fall. ;) Thanks for the great information!!!

[Kassi_Kennedy]

Thanks so much. We planted some last year late in the season and it never bloomed and this year it came back so strong! I'm glad that they're so easy to propigate because it's a real hit in the garden!

[yergman]

I have 3 kinds of monarda, including lilac, dark 'Purple Rooster', and red. The lilac-colored one is the most popular with the bees, and the other two get all the hummingbird's attention. It is also a good, attractive filler between spent lily stalks. You have better success with the seeds than I have so I just divide the roots in Spring. As long as there is a small green growth they will survive if given enough water. Also, there is a short bubble gum pink variety, too.

[louisegarverick]

This video was excellent! Thanks, Joe and Tara. Would love to plant some bee balm.

[mariedeyo]

Thank you for giving all the info on the plant. I found plants on a local market this year and I will put them in pots for now. I love the color and looking forwart to make tea from it. I did not know its mint family. So thanks for that information. No one whats trouble with the folks next door just from planting a flower. We dont have hummingbirds in germany but the hummingbirdmoth is comming in my garden. 👍🌻 good job on the video. Take care.

[Bpt]

Thank you! Another excellent video with all the information I was looking for.

[bestill]

Best teaching video yet. You’ve earned another subscriber.

[tomaaron]

Thanks for the info. I like the casual presentation…casual doesn’t mean second best but a positive as feels like I’m in your garden. I grow beebalm in our Alberta, Canada garden. Same experience with wildlife…a ruby throated hummingbird magnet. Our plants will grow 18 inches or 30 inches depending on how much water it gets. I’ll cut a few back to get smaller multiple flower heads in some places just for variety. Yes, easy to propagate from rhizomes but never overly aggressive. Most common butterfly on ours is the White Admiral. We have a few bumblebee nesting boxes but never noticed if the bees are attracted to beebalm or not…they have lots of goodies to choose from.

[aliciamcguire]

Great Video! This was the first year I ever had Bee Balm. I bought mine, not knowing much about them....and wanting to attract Humming Birds. I planted them in an area that got afternoon sun, had to water all the time and only one out of the 4 I bought flowered. Your video was VERY informational and told me basically what I should have done. Thanks so much! I subscribed to your channel.