Bee Balm 'Wild Bergamot'

Bright lavender blooms with a spicy scent. Traditionally used by Indigenous Americans to soothe bronchial complaints and ease colds. Plants produce flowers in the second year after planting.

Edible Flowers: Add petals to salads, sprinkle over mild fish, use in fruit salads, or to garnish desserts and drinks. Flavor is minty and spicy. Nectar plant for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

DETAILS:

QTY: 100

SITE: Sun - Part Shade

TYPE: Annual

DEPTH: 1/8"

GERMINATION: 7 - 14 days at 16 - 21°C

HEIGHT: 24 - 36”

MATURITY: 365 Days

SPACING: 6 - 12”

PINCH: Not Necessary


Growing:
Transplant (recommended): Sow the seeds in flats, barely covering them. Transplant to individual containers when the seedlings have their first true leaves. Transplant outside in the spring or summer, 6-8 weeks after starting the seeds, spacing plants 12-18" apart. Direct seed: Sow from early spring up until 8 weeks before the first frost in the fall. Direct seed or sow in a cold frame to be transplanted when they reach a height of 3-4". Sow about one seed per inch in rows 18" apart. Thin to 12-18" apart.

Bee balm is very susceptible to powdery mildew, which is exacerbated by humidity and any kind of plant stress, even drought. To reduce the likelihood of mildew, keep the soil moist, minimizing overhead watering; space the plants far enough apart to allow for good air circulation between plants; remove diseased foliage to prevent the fungus from overwintering; and divide the plant about every 3 years, discarding the old center growth and replanting the new side shoots.