Bee Balm Of A Different Color

If you like hummingbirds, you need bee balm. They love the red, but why stop there. This hot pink is Monarda fistulosa. Sometimes referred to as wild bee balm,it has a slightly different fragrance and leaf shape.



The lavender Bee balm is a cultivar of M. didmya. It is taller and begins to bloom a bit later than the red. All the bee balms are blooming now. They are very busy plants attracting bees, bumblebees, hummingbirds and hummingbird moths. With all the wet weather there is some powdery mildew. I don't worry about that, but I do cut the plants to the ground right after flowering, and remove all the debris. It's so worth it!

Hummingbird Heaven

When it comes to hummingbirds it's hard to beat red bee balm, Monarda didyma. The weather has been gorgeous for two days in a row, and weeding in the garden has been a pleasure. The female hummingbird works the bee balm right next to me as long as I keep working. If I stop to watch her she flies off to another spot in the garden. I guess she doesn't like the garden help watching her while she eats. I still get a great view of her green iridescent feathers and enjoy the buzzing of her wings. Sometimes she even perches on a wire cage nearby, especially if she is higher than my head. She is the queen of the garden and chases away any intruder that dares to approach her red bee balm. She spends a fair amount of time chasing other hummingbirds in high speed pursuit.No air show could be more exciting!



The tubular flowers open starting in the center, and work their way out. They will bloom for weeks keeping our hummingbirds happy. The Monarda fistulosa, wild pink bee balm and the lavender bee balm will open soon. When they do I'll be watching for hummingbird moths. The hummingbirds do not share the red.

Beautiful Bee Balm

The bee balm is beginning to bloom. A big attraction to hummingbirds and hummingbird moths, this plant is one of my favorites. This mahogany bee balm was given to me by Jennie. She moved away some years ago but the plant remains to make me think of her now and then.

Most often you will see Monarda didyma in red, the hummingbird's favorite. It is blooming too. I also have a patch of lavender bee balm which is just beginning to open. The other bee balm that I have is Monarda fistulosa, also called wild bee balm. It is hot pink and is also just beginning to open.

We will visit bee balm again, especially if I am successful in getting a decent hummingbird moth picture.