bee balm

[amc929]

has anyone have experience with bee balm? i just put some in, and would appreciate a bit of information.
thanks :D

[lostvalleyfarm]

I've had bee balm in my flower bed for 2 years now. It is beautiful when blooming and butterlies like it. It is easy to take a plant for a new bed also. I did it by mistake actually, when I was weeding a branch came up so I planted it. Mine has red flowers but I think I saw different colors at a nursery..unless I dreamt it!! LOL
I really love the smell of bee balm!!
Any other questions? :) JLMK

[amc929]

:P thank you, lostvalleyfarm. i put the beebalm in as bare root and still waiting for something to pop up (i could just be impatient..lol) a little more warmth, i think is what is needed, which is what we're supposed to get this week, with tons of rain, oh well, can't have everything (but we can try like heck! LOL)

[AllGreenThumbs]

I've grown several different cultivars of Bee Balm. I don't care for the taller varieties in a defined bed as they tend to flop over and lay sideways. The lower leaves on all Bee Balm also are suseptible to powdery mildew. However, if something short or medium height is planted in front to hide the lower portion of the plant, they look much better. They tend to spread but are not considered invasive.

I work at a landscaping/nursery/garden center and we just got in a newer variety that is a dwarf/more compact type. I remember that it's pink but for the life of me, I forget the name of it.
I love the smell of it also and I've seen hummingbirds frequent mine as well.

Becki

[amc929]

:) thanks for your input, becki.
i think my bare root ones have kicked the bucket, but i went to the market and bought two...we shall see what happens. (i have just increased my garden this year by about 6 more feet....and need some perenials to fill in some spots)

[JavaQueen]

I found bee balm to spread a bit too much for me. The tall varieties anyway. My bee balm moved over by more than a foot in my bed! It died out in the original spot and sprouted up in the new location.
I like the smaller bee balms - I have 3 of those in my butterfly bed. They smell so good!

[amc929]

thanks for the input, javaqueen. my bareroots don't seem to be taking, but i bought two at the farmer's market. we will see and keep and eye on them, if i don't like them, i can always move them. :)

[mar30]

Hi! I have red, purple, and bright pink Bee Balm - all the taller variety. I have it mixed in my garden among the taller daylilies and Chinese Lanterns toward the back of my garden. The hummingbirds love it, as do the bumblebees and butterflies. :) I just went out this past weekend and staked a bunch of them so they don't get knocked down by the heavy daylily foliage. Bee Balm is a member of the Mint family, I read somewhere.

[yarrow]

My son and I enjoyed this pink tea; here's the receipe:
Gather 5 to 7 bee balm flowers soon after they open. Trim away stems and leaves and wash in a stream of cool water. Coarsely chop flowers; add two tbs of chpd flowers to 4 cups of boiling water. Steep mixture for 5 minutes or longer for more intense flavor. Pour mixture thru strainer and discard flower pieces serve hot or cold.
My son Joe says it is the best tasting tea he's ever had (we drank it hot) It is smooth and silky and full bodied. Hope you try it.

[mla2ofus]

Is there any way to prevent the powdery mildew? Mine started looking so bad after it bloomed that I cut it way back. :( There was hardly any leaves on it. Are there any varieties that are mildew resistant? Mine is a tall red one. Sorry for so many questions at once.