(Monarda citriodora ‘Lemon’)

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Lemon Bergamot is a native annual flower 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!

  • General Information
  • Germination
  • Seedlings
  • Harvesting
  • Seed Saving
  • Culinary
  • Other Uses
  • Companion Planting
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Family: Lamiaceae 

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.
Direct sow in early spring, planting on the surface of the soil since this seed needs light to germinate. Keep the soil lightly moist until germination, which should occur within 10-20 days at temperatures from 60-70 degrees F. When the seedlings can safely be handled, thin or transplant for wider spacing. For an early start, start the seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost and transplant outdoors.
Water seedlings until they become established, but do not overwater. Mature plants tolerate drought well, though they will appreciate occasional watering in very dry weather. These plants will reseed themselves in favorable growing conditions, and are extremely attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and bees. Deer tend to avoid this plant.
These flowers make an excellent choice for both fresh and dried floral arrangements. For fresh flowers, choose stems with blooms that have just opened. Strip the foliage that will fall below the water level, and place in water immediately.
When the flower spikes begin to dry and turn brown, remove them and spread them out to dry; thresh them to remove the seed. Shaking the entire plant's seed heads into a container is also effective, but the process should be repeated daily until all the seed has matured. Store the seed in a cool, dry place.
Leaves: raw or cooked. They are used as a flavoring in salads and cooked foods and also as a tea. They have a pleasant lemon flavor.
An essential oil in the leaves contains a phenol and a citral. No more information is given, though the oil is likely to have medicinal activity and perhaps be suitable for perfumery etc. The essential oil citronellal, used as an insect repellent and in perfumery, is obtained from this plant.

Companion Planting

Hummingbird Garden Plants: Beragmot attracts hummingbirds with its red and pink blossoms and its tubular flowers that are naturally suited for a hummingbird's long beak. Other similar flowers include Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa), with red and yellow flowers, or silver sage (Salvia argentea), with white flowers tinged with red. Both companions also thrive in full sun or partial shade in USDA plant hardiness zones 5b through 10b.

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

Powdery mildew can be a serious problem with some of the monardas. Susceptibility to foliar diseases in general increases if plants are grown in dry soils or are allowed to dry out.

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