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The distinctive "spiky hairdo" blooms are among their chief selling points, along with the plants' ability to attract bees, butterflies, songbirds, and hummingbirds to the garden landscape. Blooming for weeks from mid-summer to early fall, they rest upon a whorl of decorative bracts. But while the foliage is not particularly attractive, bee balms produce profuse hairy clusters of scarlet, pink, white, lavender, or purple tubular petals in terminal whorls, often with colored bracts, through a good portion of the summer. Monarda 'Blue Stocking' (Bee Balm) is a clump-forming perennial boasting masses of violet-blue flowers, borne in dense, globular terminal heads. Bee balm is a somewhat weedy plant growing 10 inches to 4 feet tall, with oval leaves that are downy on the undersides.

As with all Bee Balms, the bloom begins in mid-summer. Its a strong-growing perennial that likes moisture, and will grow in sun or partial shade. didyma as the principal parent, but there is often genetic contribution from other species, as well. Since its a member of the mint family with fragrant foliage, Bee Balm was always a medicinal plant of the native Americans, and today adds wonderful color to perennial gardens and wildflower meadows. Most named varieties sold as "Monarda" are hybrids with M. Of the 15 or so species within the genus, the varieties sold in garden centers are usually hybrids and cultivars based on three species.

Prized for its bright, vibrant flowers and long bloom season, bee balm comprises several species of native North American wildflower from the Monarda genus. The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.