(Monarda citriodora ‘Lemon’)
Lemon Bergamot is a native annual flower that is commonly found growing in sandy/rocky prairies or along roadsides throughout the southern United States. At maturity this plant reaches a height of 2-3' and features a stiff square like stem, narrow 2” lance shaped leaves, and globular clusters of two-lipped flowers that are light pink to white. This plant can do it all! It attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, is edible, can be used as a cut flower, is drought tolerant, is used to flavor perfumes and make insect repellents, is resistant to deer, and self sows!
Genus: Monarda
Species: citriodora
Variety: Lemon Bergamot
Also Known As: Lemon Bee Balm, Lemon Mint, Prairie Bergamot, Lemon Horsemint, Plains Horsemint, Purple Horse Mint.
Native to: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah
Introduced into: Illinois, Kentucky.
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Blooms): May to August
Light: Full sun to part shade.
Water: Dry to medium
Soil moisture: Dry to medium moisture
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds as well as resisting Deer.
Containers?: Yes. you need a container with adequate drainage for healthy plant growth. Pot up your mint plant with a good potting mix, either a regular commercial type or one with equal amounts of sand, peat, and perlite mixed in.
Maintenance: Low
Height: 24-36”
Spacing: 15-24”
Sow Depth: On Soil Surface
USDA Zones: 2-11
Produces: a stiff square like stem, narrow 2” lance shaped leaves, and globular clusters of two-lipped flowers that are light pink to white.
Garden Uses: Bedding plant, cottage gardens, herb gardens, native plant areas, prairies, roadsides or waste areas. Also effective in hummingbird or butterfly gardens. Leaves may be used to make herbal teas or may be added to potpourris.
Companion Planting
Herbs: As a member of the mint family, bergamot leaves have a minty smell and make a pleasant, herbal tea. Bergamot adds color and height to an herb garden and should be planted near the center of the garden surrounded by your preference of shorter herbs grown as annuals, such as basil, thyme, chives and parsley. Add a perennial herb such as rosemary in USDA plant hardiness zones 7a through 11 for year-round interest in the garden bed.
Colors: Also grown in full sun in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 through 11, bright yellow daylilies would work well planted in the same garden bed with the warm colors of bergamot. For a contrasting accent, midnight blue agapanthus (Agapanthus x "Monmid") adds the cool-blue color in USDA plant hardiness zones 7b through 11.
Shapes: As a 6- to 8-inch ground cover growing around the base of bergamot, the light green leaves and multiple flowers of dwarf annual phlox (Phlox drummondii) thrive in USDA plant hardiness zones 5a through 11 and come in a variety of colors. The blue-gray leaves of the perennial blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) contrast nicely in both shape and color with bergamot. Blue oat grass thrives in USDA plant hardiness zones 5b through 10b.
Problems
Suggested Varieties
(Ocimum basilicum ‘Italian Large Leaf’)
(Ocimum basilicum ‘Lemon’)
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(Ocimum basilicum ‘Purple Ruffles’)
Purple Ruffles Basil is a native annual herb that can be commonly found growing in gardens throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 18-24” and features ruffled, dark purple leaves, maroon stems, and spikes of bright fuchsia flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees and butterflies, is rabbit safe, repels flies, mosquitoes, and thrips, is resistant to deer, is used to make essential oils and mosquito repellent, is both edible and medicinal, and is great as a cut flower!
(Ocimum basilicum ‘Spicy Globe’)
Spicy Globe Basil is an annual herb that is native to India and Asia but can be commonly found growing in gardens throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 8-14” and features 1/4-1" light green leaves and white flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees and butterflies, is rabbit safe, repels flies, mosquitoes, and thrips, is resistant to deer, is used to make essential oils and mosquito repellent, is both edible and medicinal, and is great as a cut flower!
(Ocimum basilicum ‘Sweet’)
Sweet Basil is an annual herb that is native to India and Asia but can be commonly found growing in gardens throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 24-30” and features medium green leaves and spikes of white or pale pink flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees and butterflies, is rabbit safe, repels flies, mosquitoes, and thrips, is resistant to deer, is used to make essential oils and mosquito repellent, is both edible and medicinal, and is great as a cut flower!
(Allium tuberosum ‘Garlic')
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Garlic Chive is a clump-forming annual herb that is native to Asia but can be found growing throughout the Midwest, and along the southern and eastern coasts of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 10-18" and features 12” tapering, soft textured, cylindrical leaves, leafless stems, and 2” violet scented, star-shaped, white flowers that have brown striped tepals. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, and ladybugs, repels aphids, carrot fly, Japanese beetles, and moles, is resistant to deer, tolerates drought and frost, is used to make fungicides and insecticides, is both edible and medicinal, and self sows!
(Allium schoenoprasum ‘Onion')
Onion Chive is a native clump-forming perennial herb that can be found growing throughout the northern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 20” and features 12” dark green grassy-like leaves and 16” stems that are topped with aromatic pale purple clover-like flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, ladybugs, and pollinating moths, repels aphids, carrot fly, Japanese beetles, and moles, is resistant to deer, tolerates drought and frost, is used to make fungicides and insecticides, is both edible and medicinal, and self sows!
(Petroselinum crispum 'Italian Giant')
Italian Giant Parsley is a heirloom, hardy, cool weather biennial vegetable that is native to the Mediterranean region, but can be commonly found growing in gardens throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 18-16” and features flat, dark, glossy green leaves. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts hoverflies, predatory wasps, and tachinid flies, is rabbit safe, tolerates light frost, is used to flavor perfumes and repel insects, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Thymus vulgaris 'Common')
Common Thyme is a woody-based, upright perennial herb that is native to southern Europe but can be commonly found growing in gardens throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 12-18” and features a foliage mound of upward growing woody stems, tiny, oval-shaped, grayish-green, aromatic leaves, and small, tubular, light pink flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, repels moths, tolerates deer and drought, flavors perfumes, shampoos, and toothpastes, makes essential oils, mouthwash, and potpourri, and is both edible and medicinal!
(Thymus serpyllum 'Creeping')
Creeping Thyme is a woody-based, creeping perennial herb that is native to Europe but can be commonly found growing in gardens throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 3-6” and features a 12-18” wide foliage mat of rooting stems, 1/4” oval-shaped, blueish-green leaves, and small, tubular, two-lipped, bell-shaped dark pink/purple flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, repels moths, tolerates deer, drought, and light frost, flavors perfumes and soaps, makes essential oils and fungicide, and is both edible and medicinal!