perennial
Wild bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
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.
Wild bergamot is a fast-growing perennial hardy in zones 3–9. It grows 2–4 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide, so plant it 2 ft apart. Give it full sun to part sun and little water once established. It flowers purple 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 Southeast, the Midwest, the Great Plains, Texas and the South-Central states and the Mountain West. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Monarda fistulosa
- Plant type
- Perennial, herbaceous
- Hardiness zones
- 3 to 9
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Tolerates dry, lean and clay soils.
- Mature size
- 2–4 ft tall × 2–3 ft wide
- Spacing
- 2 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Jul–Aug · purple
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- natural, cottage, low water
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Monarda is not on the ASPCA toxic list.
- Native to
- Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Great Plains, South-Central and Mountain West
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $10–$16 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer until roots establish, then only during long dry spells.
- Pruning
- Cut back by half after flowering if mildew shows.
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
- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Wild bergamot, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Shrubby cinquefoil (potentilla) 'Goldfinger'Dasiphora fruticosa 'Goldfinger'shrub · zones 2–7
- Arrowwood viburnum 'Blue Muffin'Viburnum dentatum 'Christom'shrub · zones 3–8
- Pennsylvania sedgeCarex pensylvanicaornamental grass · zones 3–8
- Rocky Mountain columbineAquilegia caeruleaperennial · zones 3–8
- Tufted hair grassDeschampsia cespitosaornamental grass · zones 4–9
- Red twig dogwood 'Arctic Fire'Cornus sericea 'Farrow'shrub · zones 3–7
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Wild bergamot: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
- Foxglove beardtongue 'Husker Red'Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'zones 3–8 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Common yarrowAchillea millefoliumzones 3–9 · flagged toxic to pets
- Blazing starLiatris spicatazones 3–8 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Blue false indigoBaptisia australiszones 3–9 · 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