A drought-tolerant bee balm with whorled yellow-and-purple-spotted tubular flowers. Among the most attractive native plants for native bees — the great golden digger wasp is particularly drawn to it.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Monarda punctata is a herbaceous plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, that is native to eastern Canada, the eastern United States and northeastern Mexico. Common names include spotted beebalm and horsemint.
Source: Wikipedia — Monarda punctata Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Tall plant with paired opposite leaves; whorled flower clusters with creamy yellow tubular flowers spotted with purple-brown.
Similar species. Other Monarda species (different colors). Wild Bergamot.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. N/A — photosynthesis
Behavior. Native sandy-soil bee balm with distinctive spotted yellow-purple flowers. Important pollinator plant.
§ Range
Eastern and central US
§ Habitat
Sandy soils, open meadows, dunes
§ Threats
Habitat loss, garden monocultures, lawn pesticides.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the spotted bee balm is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Plant in dry sunny corners. Skip pesticides. Support native plant nurseries.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Monarda punctata
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Monarda punctata
- iNaturalist · taxon 75977
- IUCN Red List — search for Monarda punctata
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Monarda punctata
§ Sources cited
- USDA Plants Database
- Xerces Society
