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• Blooming for up to 6 weeks, usually from mid-summer to early fall, these showy perennials are a striking addition to informal borders, wildflower meadows, and prairies. The boldness of Monarda blooms makes it terrific for massing or as an accent plant. They combine very well with other summer perennials such as phlox, irises, daylilies, and yarrows. Useful in the late summer garden, they also bridge the gap before the first asters. They also make excellent cut flowers!
• Stiff-stemmed, they provide showy silhouettes in fall and winter, extending their season of interest, while all around them is collapsing to mush. Just as they make good cut flowers, their seedheads are worth including in dried flower arrangements.
• Monardas grow in clumps of upright stems, 1-4 ft tall (30-120 cm). Their foliage of aromatic, ovate-lanceolate leaves can be enjoyed in salads or simply by passing by.

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• They perform best in full sun or partial shade and are adaptable to a variety of soils. Monarda didyma requires rich, moist soils for best growth, while Monarda fistulosa is more tolerant of dry conditions.
• Monardas can be prone to powdery mildew. To prevent this problem, make sure you provide good air circulation, do not let the soil dry out, remove diseased leaves and stems and select mildew-resistant cultivars.
• Monarda flowers attract streams of butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial pollinators but they are deer and rabbit resistant.
• Deadhead spent flowers to encourage new blooms. Fast growing, Monarda spreads vigorously and will need to be divided every 2-3 years.
• Monardas should be cut to the ground after flowering to promote the growth of new healthy shoots and leaves.

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