I planted one plant (small pot) 3 yrs ago. It took over a third of my flowerbed. I also had a terrible problem with powdery mildew and the bottom third of the plant looked ratty. I hated it, pulled it up and am still pulling up the darn thing.

I know many people love them, but I will never plant it again.

I have several of these. They do spread, but they are so easy to pull up. You can pull it up and give it to friends. I find it very easy to control this plant. It has very shallow roots which spread under the ground. You can even pot up some of these that spread and sell them if you'd like. Just plant it in the back. If it spreds, just grab the stem and give it a little yank. So easy!

I have Jacob Cline and Petite Delight from last year. They grew well but did not flower last year (I planted them late) and were pretty mildewy. I cut them both down to the ground but they returned this year.

I'm not keen on Jacob Cline. It behaves just as Lemon Poppy said with the lower part of the plant looking unattractive. However it is blooming now and I want the hummingbirds to enjoy it if possible.

On the other hand Petite Delight has a nice, compact growing habit and it stays green and pretty looking. I would but that one again. Either way they smell wonderful.

Kate

Sorry, forget to mention I am growing mine in half barrels to keep them from running amok. Hope this helps.

Kate

Scraplolly-
I would say it depends on your taste in Gardens. Monarda works best in a carefree, casual bed, rather than a formal setting. It does tend to spread, if its happy where you plant it (and I haven't found it to be too picky...) It is the only flower in Gardens that the Hummingbirds are attracted to, but they LOVE it. If you are into subdued and refined gardens, I wouldn't think Monarda would suit you, but if you like color, like I do, it's a must have!!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:251207}}

Kate,

I think you should give it a try. It'll look good in the barrels!

the original question was whether they reseed ....

they did not in 10 years in my z5 garden ... ergo i doubt they will in z3 .... but i might be wrong ...

they have barely underground roots [rhizomes?] that crawl around under the mulch and pop up new plantlets that are very easy to pull out ... they CAN become problematic in a very small garden .. they would be very nice in a meadow ....

when i moved .. i moved 1500 potted plants... i voted to leave the bee balm ... due to the mildew.. and its general ugliness ... that about sums it up ... wasnt worth a pot.. lol ...

does that actually answer the question??

ken

Well, yes, Ken, it does!

I can't do anything about re-seeding, but I can plant it into the ground in a pot if it wants to spread, and I don't want it to...

The thread has given me lots to think about--thanks everyone!

I grow a few varieties of monardas, and rarely have they spread out of control. And no, mine haven't reseeded. I've had "Jacob Cline" for about 10 years. It did spread a little bit, so I dug up a clump & moved it, and have repeated this process throughout those 10 years. None of the later clumps have spread, much to my amazement. You see, I want it to spread, therefore, it won't (LOL).
"Marshall's Delight" has managed to almost die itself off, again, against my wishes. Could be because the spot doesn't get much sun anymore.
I've had "Blue Stocking" for probably 5-6 years. It too has spread, but not much at all, unfortunately. Same with "Raspberry Wine". I had harvested seed heads from all, and have never gotten a seed. The powdery mildew sucks, but I just deal with it. The monarda/horsemint caterpillar is another problem, yet, I keep my monardas. I wouldn't be without them...

I have had 3 types for more than 10 years. No seedlings. Happy wanderers and I, generally, live with it. None are where I originally planted them, except 'Gardenview Scarlet'. Gardenview Scarlet is twice the size of the others in plant and flower, and a little more mildew resistant. I keep it in control by pulling up plants ruthlessly and moving bits to uncontrolled parts of the property. The others are not great clumps because I pull the plants out, constantly. They are 'Mahogany', a cranberry red and 'Blue Stocking' a bright lavendar. Containers must be elevated because the plants, like mint, will send their runners over the edges and down to spread in the rest of the garden. I have tried, on two occasions to start the white one, but mildew gets so bad the plant fades away.

My monarda is in glorious bloom now, but getting quite leggy and the powdery mildew is starting to take hold...can I shear it back to get it to rebloom this season? How short should I cut it? Should I cut all of the stalks or leave some of them standing? How long will it take to come back? If shearing won't work, any ideas for overplanting annuals to hide the ugly stalks if I just hack it away? Thanks for any ideas!

I have a blue variety (can't remember the name) and while it has spread a little it's very slow and I don't consider it invasive. I didn't think it self seeded but I did have one come up quite a ways from the mother plant this year, so it may have. Then again, it was only one seedling, so again I hardly call it invasive. Like everyone else I have problems with powdery mildew, but I find the blossoms so pretty and the way it attracts the bees and butterflies more than an even trade. So, there you go. Try it, if you don't like it you can always remove it :).

I try to plant it behind other plants that will hide the 'remains' when the monarda is done for the season.

As for attracting hummingbirds, they also love agastache and salvia.

Cameron

I bought a new variety mildew resistant hot pink monarda last year and it was a small clump. (don't remember the name). this year it is a monster.it must be 3 1/2 ft tall and as wide, covered in blooms, smells heavenly and so far has not reseeded. all my friends have asked for a piece when they see it. im going to divide and move it because in one year it outgrew its space.

I've had Blue Stocking - it's lavender, not blue - for three years and it is very well behaved. I don't see any sign of self-seeding here. It's done pretty well with mildew resistance too. There had been some mildew but not too much. I cut it back after flowering and I got some rebloom last year.

I don't know if some varieties are sterile or not. I received some Marshall's Delight seeds in a trade last fall, and I winter sowed a whole container. It was one of the few containers where not one seed sprouted.

Linda

I don't think monarda seeds prolifically....but it does send out runners. However it's easy to keep in check as they are so shallow rooted.
Linda C

I agree, it's easy to keep in check. I like bee balm, but you need to give it a sunny spot where it won't invade other plants. The bees love this plant (hence, it's name). Hummers like it also. I planted Raspberry Wine and don't have mildew problems and it stands straight and tall. I think where you plant it has a lot to do with its success. Give it a try.

Tracey, like you, I wanted mine to spread and it won't. My garden is very informal and so far I like it. I really want hummingbirds so it went in. Actually, it's the best looking plant in my garden which really isn't saying much about my garden right now:(.

I have a circle of Bee Balm in the lawn in front of my flower bed so that I don't need to worry about it spreading (the lawn mower takes care of that). It is beautiful scarlet Jacob Kline. It only had a bit of mildew late last summer but looks as if it may be getting a bit on lower leaves already. The hummingbirds love it.

I have Petite Delight and really like it. The clump has grown, but would hardly be called invasive. It also has no mildew problem for me.
I got Jacob Kline, and it mildewed badly. Thankfully I got in trade and did not feel bad about not keeping it.
I have a pretty unknown not too tall pink cultivar out back, and it is very nice too, no mildew, but not as nice as Petite Delight. It seems to spread with stalks popping up out of place unlike the clump behavior of Petite Delight, but it is still good enough to keep.
So to me each variety seem quite different in behavior.
Remy

I have a Marshall's Delight...thinking of yanking it because the blooms just don't last long. It flops over the surrounding plants, so I have to keep cutting it. I can think of more productive obedient plants to put in its place, but I've had it so long that I'm a little attached to the damn thing. LOL. Does anyone else feel attached to their little "brats"?

I just planted some white earlier. Two plants, spread already, filled the spot, but when will it ever bloom? No sign of buds. Maybe it won't bloom this year? Been in there I'd say 2 months or so.

I put them in a damp spot above a french drain I had to install, nothing much even many weeds would grow there. They are doing fine, but maybe I'll have to watch for PM.

I got some bare root ones, Purple Prairie or something, didn't grow at all where I put them, and whatever was in the package was roots and only one had any crown I could see, might ask for a refund on those. Bet they'll say I should have planted the roots. I did just in case. Two a couple measly roots was all. That was earlier, watered them plus we were having lots of rain.

I've been growing it for more than 25 years. I have four or five varieties. One, a light lavender, has spread more than the others. The red, which might be Cambridge Scarlet, remains quite contained. Another, called Raspberry Wine (I think) is spreading more slowy than I'd like. I thought by now it would cover more area. But fast or slow, I really love this plantÂalmost as much as the bees, butterflies, and "hummingbird moths" do.

I hadn't tried it yet until I ran into that trouble with the damp spot, read that it likes damp.

Guy down the alley had a whole bed of red ones and a couple by the alley across from him, they bloomed really well, can look for the photo I took of it and check the date. Then they disappeared and haven't seen any there since, looks like he took them out.

One lady about a mile from me has a whole cottage garden in her front yard. She has the pink one, Marshall's something, everything packed together, lovely. Otherwise I don't think many grow it, had to mail order both varieties of that.

I love Monarda and am growing many kinds. It grows best in medium moisture - it is not a wetland plant, but it suffers when the soil is droughty. It is susceptible to powdery mildew and fungus and dies back kinda early, but I interplant it with other perennials to help hide the dying stems.

Despite its drawbacks, it is so lovely in bloom and the flowers attract many pollinators. The red Monarda didyma is the top Hummingbird plant in the yard. I am seeing a Hummer on it multiple times a day lately. Yesterday there was a gorgeous Spicebush Swallowtail nectaring on the red Monarda too. And the bloom color is such a brilliant red.

A couple pictures of the red Monarda with visitors. There is a Hummingbird in the first photo, on one of the flowers in back - it's not a great pic, but I've never really gotten a good pic of a Hummingbird nectaring on a flower, they just move too fast so far.

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Spicebush swallowtail -
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Yes, Monarda can spread vigorously in the right conditions. My pic shows the results of 2 Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' that I planted in May 2007. The bed is round (12' diameter) that is quite wet in spring and has a lot of clay so it doesn't drain well. These plants are now covering at least a 6' round area and are over 5' tall and quite thick. Can you say "mildew"? We are into a dry spell, so I am sure it is going to happen. (Yes, that is zucchini in front...the Monarda took up most of the space I had been planting zuch and tomatoes in, but the hummers love it so much!)

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Oh my heavens--that's a monster Monarda!

Looks great with the zucchini leaves, though!

Thanks everyone. It certainly seems to inspire a lot of passion!

I wanted to plant it by the front door. I thought it would smell really nice there. If it looks really bad, though, perhaps I shouldn't--unless--

Other than zucchini--what would you suggest I plant in front of it?

I love monarda! When I saw that no one had posted a photo of Marshall's Delight, I went out to my garden this morning and took one to share:

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I have Raspberry Wine as well, but it's late-blooming for me this year so it's not a photo op yet. Oh, and I also have some Petite Delight, which is a shorter, denser, more lilac-colored version of Marshall's.

My monarda looks like hell right now, leaves covered in mildew that haven't yet browned up and died. The flowers are coming to an end, so I'm going to cut it back to the ground and see if it'll grow back, hopefully so I don't have a big bald spot in the middle of the bed. Is there any way to prevent powdery mildew on these plants, a spray or something to put on them up until they bloom? If not, what are the best mildew resistant ones you've grown so I can pull these out and replant the area with those.

Karen

I bought one plant of Jacob Cline this year, I'm sure it was in May, and planted it immediately in amended clay soil, full sun. So far, it has spread but not bloomed, with no buds in evidence. But no PW either! Will it bloom this year, or is it too late to hope for that?

I've planted Bonanza daylilies in front of it.

Not the tidiest plant, for sure...
I have many around the back yard, for the bees and the hummingbirds.

Josh

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Wow.

Bad hair day.

(But I kinda like its frowsiness!)

The other red hummer magnet here is Lobelia cardinalis - between the Jacob Kline and the Lobelia they just run back and forth. I have 3 large stands of Jacob Kline and it hasn't mildewed for me. One of the areas is only part shade at the edge of the woods and its doing great. They really like moisture and that can help you grow it in a controlled way, or allow it to take off.
If you want to take the time to deadhead you can prolong the bloom time but in any case I love the smell.

Alyrics, I just planted Lobelia cardinalis last fall, and have a nice robust patch this year that just started blooming yesterday. You're right about the Hummingbirds - little Hummer has been checking out the Lobelia since it started budding. One of the patches of red Monarda isn't far away - and the Hummer goes to both. Such a brilliant red on both of these flowers.

Scraplolly, I am growing things like Rudbeckia, Daylilies, and Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) 'Shenandoah' around my Monarda. I kinda let it grow in a naturalized way, Monarda is not really a formal plant. They also grow well with other moisture-lovers like Asclepias incarnata and Joe Pye Weed.

For mildew and fungus on Monarda, you are supposed to use a fungicide even before the mildew appears. I'm not that fussy about a little mildew which is only cosmetic - but I had a raging fungus on some susceptible plants this Spring (Monarda, Phlox, Asclepias, Veronicastrum, etc.) and the plants were yellowing and keeling over. So I've sprayed several times using an organic copper-based fungicide from Gardens Alive called "Soap Shield".

terrene--thank you for that information!

Funny, in the plans I've been making I've been pairing it with rudbeckia, and daylillies, too. I'm going to save your info on that mildew spray.

This has been an extremely wet summer for us--it's hard to judge moisture! According to weather observation data, we get, on average 18.78 inches of precipitation a year. I think we've had twice that already!

I also have rich clay soil--it's a puzzle to figure out what will grow well.