Monarda Upscale™ 'Lavender Taffeta' Bee Balm

A Proven Winners® variety, Monarda Upscale™ 'Lavender Taffeta' Bee Balm is a showy native perennial that blooms midsummer, with its well-branched stems offering a second flush of flowers, extending its bloom time. Heavy blooming, 'Lavender Taffeta' sets shaggy, globular, dark lavender purple flower heads. Borne singly atop long, willowy, square stems, the fragrant, nectar-rich blossoms come in abundance; attract tons of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; and make excellent, eye-catching cuts for vase or arrangements.

A Monarda hybrid variety, commonly called bee balm or bergamot, 'Lavender Taffeta' is an herbaceous plant with a clumping habit of shiny, lance-shaped dark green leaves that emit a minty scent when crushed or bruised. The fast-growing plant is rhizomatous and self-seeding and will form colonies over time. An attractive plant even when not in bloom, Monarda 'Lavender Taffeta' is shown to best effect when massed or grouped in borders and beds but also makes stunning "filler" in a container garden.

Bee balm grows best in sunny to partly sunny locations with average to fertile, moist, well-draining soils, having a neutral to alkaline pH, but it tolerates heavy clay. In hot summer climates, some shade may be beneficial. Although the plant is mildew resistant, providing good air circulation helps combat disease. Deadheading spent flowers promotes blooming. The plant is deer resistant.

A native plant, Monarda 'Lavender Taffeta' is indigenous to North America, from Maine to Minnesota south to Missouri and Georgia. Native plants are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly. Naturally adapted to the climate and soil conditions of the region, they thrive without fertilizers or extra watering, once established. They also act as natural pest controls, reducing the need for pesticides in the garden. Landscaping with native plants promotes biodiversity and provides shelter and quality food for wildlife and pollinators, bringing gardens to life.