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Native Plant Society of Texas

Beebalm

Monarda fistulosa

Other common name(s):

Wild Bergamot

Family:

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

2
to
4
ft.

Spread

.5
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Dry, Loam, Moist, Rocky, Sand

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland, Riparian, Woodland Edge

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Pink, Purple, White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Wildlife Benefit

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Maintenance

Very easy to grow and often forms large colonies by rhizomes. Grows on a variety of soils. Spreads easily under optimum growing conditions. All Monarda species are susceptible to powdery mildew. Give good drainage and air circulation as a preventative measure. Native habitat: Ponderosa Pine and mixed conifer forests, canyons, streambanks, moist soils, dry open woods, fields, wet meadows and ditches, edges of woods and marshes.

Description

Blooms May-October. Stems single to branching. Produces oval to lance-shaped leaves, hairy, serrated edges, with minty fragrant. The pink flowers resemble loose pompoms that occur in single terminal heads. The fruit is a brown nutlet.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48, 53. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 198. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MOFI. 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Monarda+fistulosa&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 6) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=13480&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=565311#null, 8) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014, 9) https://seedsource.com/bergamot/

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Stem Division Remove the lower leaves and all flower or seed heads and insert the stems into a sand and perlite-rooting medium. Bury each cutting up to the first node. Place the cuttings in an enclosed area and mist them several times a day. In 4 to 5 weeks the cuttings should be well rooted and can be transplanted to pots. Then outplant the plants in the garden in the early autumn. Take stem tip cuttings, 3-4 inches long, any time from May to August. 1) chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/cs_mofi.pdf 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MOFI 3) https://warcapps.usgs.gov/PlantID/Species/Details/2628#:~:text=Propagation%20by%20seeds%20is%20easy,and%20fertilizing%20(Phillips%201985). 4) https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Monarda+fistulosa#:~:text=Plant%20Propagation,late%20spring%20or%20early%20summer.
Seed Stratification 5 month outdoor stratification for material grown in the Outdoor Nursery. A 30 day cold moist stratification was used in the refrigerator for greenhouse grown material. This species is reported to have up to a 97% germination rate in the presence of light. Media is kept slightly moist during germination. Initial germination appeared uniform and occurred following several days of temperatures at 70 degrees F or above during the day. Root and shoot development occurs rapidly following germination. 4 to 6 true leaves were evident 3 weeks after germination. Plants reached root tightness in containers in 3 months. Seeds are hand collected in fall when capsules turn tan and papery. Seeds are black at maturity. Capsules are collected in paper bags and are kept in a well ventilated drying shed prior to cleaning. Seeds ripen 2 months after plant blooms. 1) https://npn.rngr.net/renderNPNProtocolDetails?selectedProtocolIds=lamiaceae-monarda-95#:~:text=Ecotype:,refrigerator%20for%20greenhouse%20grown%20material. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MOFI 3) https://warcapps.usgs.gov/PlantID/Species/Details/2628#:~:text=Propagation%20by%20seeds%20is%20easy,and%20fertilizing%20(Phillips%201985).
Seed No Treatment Seeds can also be broadcast on a weed-free surface from January to mid-May in sunny locations. Once the seeds germinate seedlings should be watered during extended dry period. During the first summer of full growth mow the area 3 to 5 times to keep the plants between 8 and 4 inches tall. Mowing also reduces weeds. 1) https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/cs_mofi.pdf 2) https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Monarda+fistulosa#:~:text=Plant%20Propagation,late%20spring%20or%20early%20summer.
Clump Division Large divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Monarda+fistulosa#:~:text=Plant%20Propagation,late%20spring%20or%20early%20summer.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason