Wild Scarlet Bee Balm

(24-48″ tall x 24-36″ wide) Brilliant red, shaggy-topped blooms make Scarlet Bee Balm a winner in gardens and meadows. Also called Oswego Tea, Red Bergamot, and Horsemint. This nectar-rich wildflower is stunning and a beacon for pollinators. More tolerant of wet soils than many perennials, Scarlet Bee Balms is also ideal for rain gardens. Scarlet Bee Balm has a long bloom period, especially if you deadhead to remove spent blooms, and its upright shape makes it a lovely companion for mounding perennials like Black-Eyed Susan and Sedum. The stems, which are square in cross-section, hint at its place in the mint family, as does the aroma of the leaves when crushed. Like many mints, Bee Balm spreads by underground rhizomes, so it will readily naturalize to fill in your garden. Plant it in moist, rich soil in full sun to part shade; the plant appreciates some afternoon shade in hot-summer locales. Give the plants plenty of space to spread and divide plants every few years to ensure good air circulation, which helps prevent powdery mildew on the foliage. Deer and rabbit resistant. Hardy in zones 4-9.