Eastern beebalm (Mondarda bradburiana)
Eastern beebalm is an easy-to-grow wildflower with fragrant foliage and soft lavender blooms. This quick-spreading plant looks great as a large mass or in a mixed perennial bed. The flowers bloom throughout the summer attracting many butterflies and bees.
Natural habitat: Open areas and meadows
Light requirements: Sun to part shade
Soil requirements: Average to dry
USDA hardiness: Zones 4-8
Height: 1′-2′
Spacing: 2′-3′
Wildlife value: Bees, butterflies
Deer resistance: Resistant
Rabbit resistance: Resistant
Germination requirements
60 CMS
Eastern beebalm seeds require 60 days of cold moist stratification (abbreviated CMS in many reference guides). Stratification is the process of pre-treating seeds to mimic their natural cycles in an artificial setting.
Cold moist stratification can be achieved by sowing the seeds in your planting medium, covering very lightly with additional medium, gently watering them in, and setting them outside for a minimum of 60 days of temperatures consistently below 40 degrees. They will germinate when the soil warms up in spring. Alternatively, you can mix the seeds with a small amount of moist (not wet) sand, perlite, or vermiculite in a plastic baggie and place it in a refrigerator for 60 days. After chilling the seeds for 60 days, sow them by spreading out the contents of the baggie on the surface of your medium, covering very lightly with additional medium, and gently watering them in.
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