Monarda didyma
bee balm
Lamiaceae

Characteristics: Saturated pink double rank verticillasters that look like upturned mop heads. Unusual but not unattractive. Adds brilliant visual interest. AKA Oswego tea. Upright, grows fast. Mid-summer flowering perennial. Comes in reds, pinks, whites. Attracts bumble bees and hummingbirds.

Growing conditions: Suitable for a moist site, near a pond, used as a marginal plant. Won’t survive in a dry site. Colony forming, somewhat stoloniferous. Sun.

Limitations: Powdery mildew.