perennial
Bee balm
Monarda didyma
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 4–9, Bee balm is a fast-growing perennial. Expect 2.5–4 ft of height and 2–3 ft of spread; our lists space it 2 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part shade with average water, and it copes with wet soil. Expect red flowers in July to August. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. It is native to the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest and the Southeast. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Monarda didyma
- Plant type
- Perennial, herbaceous
- Hardiness zones
- 4 to 9
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium; tolerates wet soil
- Soil
- Rich, moist soil; give air flow to limit powdery mildew.
- Mature size
- 2.5–4 ft tall × 2–3 ft wide
- Spacing
- 2 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Jul–Aug · red
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- cottage, natural
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Bee balm is not on the ASPCA toxic list.
- Native to
- Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Southeast
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $12–$20 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season; keep soil evenly moist, not soggy.
- Pruning
- Deadhead to extend bloom; thin crowded clumps every 2–3 years.
Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 4 (as a substitute)
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- Dog-safe plants for a part-shade bed in zone 5
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 4
- Cottage garden plants for a sunny bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
- Natural-style plants for a sunny bed in zone 4
- Natural-style plants for a sunny bed in zone 6 (as a substitute)
- Natural-style plants for a sunny bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Bee balm, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Weeping redbud 'Ruby Falls'Cercis canadensis 'Ruby Falls'small tree · zones 5–9
- Arrowwood viburnum 'Blue Muffin'Viburnum dentatum 'Christom'shrub · zones 3–8
- Red twig dogwood 'Arctic Fire'Cornus sericea 'Farrow'shrub · zones 3–7
- Northern sea oatsChasmanthium latifoliumornamental grass · zones 5–9
- White wood asterEurybia divaricataperennial · zones 3–8
- FoamflowerTiarella cordifoliaperennial · zones 3–8
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Bee balm: same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
- Christmas fernPolystichum acrostichoideszones 3–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Blazing starLiatris spicatazones 3–8 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Foxglove beardtongue 'Husker Red'Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'zones 3–8 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Tropical sageSalvia coccineazones 8–11 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants