Perennial to Zone 3. A stable red bee balm from seed is hard to come by! Bushy clumping 30" Panorama bears 1–2 whorls of red tubular flowers on each stem from mid to late summer. Also known as Oswego Tea: the Oswego Indians used the species for tea as did the colonial American separatists in their struggles with the British over tea taxes.
Attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds and, of course, bees, Monarda can grow in either sun or shade. In shade its bloom time is lengthened but it can be blighted by powdery mildew (which lessens its attractiveness but not its longevity). Direct seed or transplant, surface sow in spring or summer, takes 14 days to germinate. About 2,000 seeds/g. Especially attractive to pollinators. ②
