WhenToPlantGuide

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When to plant bee balm

Plant bee balm from the last spring frost to 3 weeks after it in spring, or 6–8 weeks before the first fall frost for a fall crop. That works out to zone 5b (early May to late May), zone 7a (mid April to early May) and zone 9a (early March to late March).

Bee balm planting dates by zone

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 2a Start indoors Mar 11 – Mar 25 Plant May 20 – Jun 10 Fall planting Jul 15 – Jul 29 3b Start indoors Mar 8 – Mar 22 Plant May 17 – Jun 7 Fall planting Jul 29 – Aug 12 4a Start indoors Mar 6 – Mar 20 Plant May 15 – Jun 5 Fall planting Aug 1 – Aug 15 4b Start indoors Mar 4 – Mar 18 Plant May 13 – Jun 3 Fall planting Aug 4 – Aug 18 5a Start indoors Mar 2 – Mar 16 Plant May 11 – Jun 1 Fall planting Aug 6 – Aug 20 5b Start indoors Feb 24 – Mar 10 Plant May 5 – May 26 Fall planting Aug 13 – Aug 27 6a Start indoors Feb 19 – Mar 5 Plant Apr 30 – May 21 Fall planting Aug 20 – Sep 3 6b Start indoors Feb 13 – Feb 27 Plant Apr 24 – May 15 Fall planting Aug 24 – Sep 7 7a Start indoors Feb 4 – Feb 18 Plant Apr 15 – May 6 Fall planting Aug 30 – Sep 13 7b Start indoors Jan 26 – Feb 9 Plant Apr 6 – Apr 27 Fall planting Sep 6 – Sep 20 8a Start indoors Jan 16 – Jan 30 Plant Mar 27 – Apr 17 Fall planting Sep 12 – Sep 26 8b Start indoors Jan 5 – Jan 19 Plant Mar 16 – Apr 6 Fall planting Sep 20 – Oct 4 9a Start indoors Dec 22 – Jan 5 Plant Mar 2 – Mar 23 Fall planting Oct 1 – Oct 15 9b Start indoors Nov 26 – Dec 10 Plant Feb 4 – Feb 25 Fall planting Oct 15 – Oct 29 10a Start indoors Oct 30 – Nov 13 Plant Jan 8 – Jan 29 Fall planting Oct 29 – Nov 12
■ spring planting · ■ fall planting · ■ start seeds indoors. Zones from the USDA 2023 map; dates from NOAA frost normals for the weather stations in each zone.
ZoneSpringFall
4a May 15 – Jun 5Aug 1 – Aug 15
4b May 13 – Jun 3Aug 4 – Aug 18
5a May 11 – Jun 1Aug 6 – Aug 20
5b May 5 – May 26Aug 13 – Aug 27
6a Apr 30 – May 21Aug 20 – Sep 3
6b Apr 24 – May 15Aug 24 – Sep 7
7a Apr 15 – May 6Aug 30 – Sep 13
7b Apr 6 – Apr 27Sep 6 – Sep 20
8a Mar 27 – Apr 17Sep 12 – Sep 26
8b Mar 16 – Apr 6Sep 20 – Oct 4
9a Mar 2 – Mar 23Oct 1 – Oct 15
9b Feb 4 – Feb 25Oct 15 – Oct 29

How to plant bee balm

Plant astransplants
DepthSame depth as the pot
Spacing18–24 in
LightFull sun
Time to bloom1–2 years
HardinessPerennial in zones 3–9
Start indoors8–10 weeks before the last frost (zone 6a: Feb 19 – Mar 5; zone 8a: Jan 16 – Jan 30)

Bee balm (Monarda) spreads by runners; divide every 3 years.

Choose mildew-resistant varieties and give plants airflow.

Hummingbirds and bees visit constantly.

Bee balm likes more moisture than most prairie perennials: plant it where the soil stays evenly damp, not in hot, dry corners.

Powdery mildew turns the leaves gray by late summer in crowded beds; thinning a third of the stems in spring improves airflow.

Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) tolerates drier soil than scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma).

Varieties worth trying: 'Jacob Cline' (tall, red, mildew-resistant), 'Raspberry Wine', and the compact 'Balmy' and 'Pardon My' series for containers and edges.

The leaves smell like oregano and citrus; they make a tea, which is how the plant got the name Oswego tea.

Pull up the runners that spread past their space each spring; the outward-growing young shoots are the ones to keep when dividing.

When to expect flowers from bee balm

Blooms in midsummer; cut back after flowering for a second flush.

Exact dates for your town: planting calendar · frost dates by state.

More flowers to plant

Begonias · Coleus · Marigolds · Zinnias · Sunflowers · Cosmos · Mums · Lantana