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Flaigg, Norman G.

Monarda punctata L.

Spotted beebalm, Horsemint

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Synonyms: Monarda punctata ssp. Villicaulis

USDA Symbol: MOPU

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

An aromatic, erect perennial ranging from only 6 in. to almost 3 ft. tall. Rosettes of yellowish, purple-spotted, tubular flowers occur in whorls, forming a dense, elongated spike at the end of the stem or from leaf axils. Each whorl is subtended by large, conspicuous, whitish, purple-tinged, leaf-like bracts.

Linnaeus named the genus Monarda in honor of a 16th century Spanish physician and botanist, Nicolas Bautista Monardes (1493-1588). Monardes never went to the Americas but was able to study medicinal plants in Spain because Spain controlled navigation and commerce from the New World.

 

From the Image Gallery

View herbarium specimen from Harry T. Cliffe Bexar Regional Herbarium.

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Size Class: 1-3 ft.
Fruit Type: Nut

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Green
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CA , CT , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , IA , KS , KY , LA , MD , MA , MI , MN , MS , MO , NJ , NM , NY , NC , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VT , VA , WI , DC
Canada: ON
Native Distribution: VT to MN, s. to TX, NM & n. to KS, through to e. coast. Isolated in CA.
Native Habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannahs
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Soil Description: Dry, sandy soils
Conditions Comments: The tubular flowers are pale yellow spotted with purple on top of bracts that are white to light purple. Leaves smell like fine Greek oregano. This plant is propagated by seed sown in situ or in pots and transplanted to sandy, well drained soil. It can also be propagated by cuttings of young foliage. Drought tolerant but summer watering can keep plants fresh and blooming longer. Spotted beebalm can become aggressive. It is noticeably fragrant. Two other common subspecies of M. punctata are ssp. punctata, occurring in sandy soil on the coastal plain from VA to KY, s. to FL & TX; and ssp. occidentalis, occurring from s.w. IL to KS, s.w. to TX & NM. All Monadra spp. are susceptible to powdery mildew.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Wildflower meadow, Pocket prairie
Use Medicinal: Fresh leaves crushed and steeped in cold water drunk to ease backache; used for fever, inflammation and chills. (Weiner)
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Hummingbirds
Nectar Source: yes

Propagation

Description: Easily propagated from untreated seed sown in fall or stratified seed sown in spring.
Seed Collection: Collect in Sep. or Oct.
Seed Treatment: Dry or moist stratification
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Order seed of this species from Native American Seed and help support the Wildflower Center.

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: We would like to install a geothermal heating/cooling system on our Wisconsin property. Are there any environmental problems with the heat that is put back in the earth from a geothermal system? We intend to plant a native prairie on top of the horizontal closed loop field. Problems?
click here to view the full question and answer

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Carolina Wild - Anderson, SC
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Native Plant Nursery - Sanibel, FL
Sunshine Farm & Gardens - Renick, WV

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

Bibliography

Earth Medicine, Earth Food (1990) Michael A. Weiner
McMillen's Texas Gardening: Wildflowers (1998) Howard, D.
* Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, G.
* Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Additional resources

USDA: Find Monarda punctata in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Monarda punctata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Monarda punctata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2008-06-25
Research By: DEW, JSC, ADA

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