GENUS CODE: MONAR GENUS SCIENTIFIC:Monarda GENUS AUTHORITY: L. GENUS COMMON: Beebalm GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 12-20 species, herbs, of North America. Many of our species are cultivated, especially M. didyma in various selected forms. Additional studies are needed on a number of taxonomic problems in Monarda. Most of the varieties recognized above have been considered valid by a succession of workers; they do seem to describe morphologically distinguishable (if not entirely discrete) entities which make phytogeographic sense. GENUS IDENTIFICATION: GENUS REFERENCES: McClintock & Epling (1942)=Z; Scora (1967)=Y; Fosberg & Artz (1953)=X; Gill (1977); Prather & Keith (2003); Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).
FAMILY INDEX
FAMILY CODE: LAMIAC FAMILY SCIENTIFIC:Lamiaceae FAMILY AUTHORITY: Lindley 1836 or LABIATAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 FAMILY COMMON: Mint Family FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 230-250 genera and 6700-7170 species, herbs, shrubs, vines, and trees, cosmopolitan. The placement in the Lamiaceae of several genera traditionally placed in Verbenaceae (e.g. Clerodendrum) is strongly supported by several lines of evidence. FAMILY REFERENCE: Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).
NCBG DESCRIPTIVES
INTRO:Erect, colonial-rhizomatous perennial found on moist wooded slopes, roadsides, woodland edges and old fields, mostly in the Appalachian Mountains. STEMS: Stems 4-angled, branching above, green to reddish-brown, often with hairs on the angles. LEAVES: Leaves opposite,petiolate,oval to broadly lance-shaped, to 4 in. long, with toothed margins, often red- or purple-tinged, lightly hairy and releasing a pungent scent when crushed. INFLORESCENCE: FLOWERS: Flowers in crowns up to 3 in. wide at stem ends, surrounded by leafy bracts; pink to lavender (or white); about 1 in. long; tubular with 2 spreading lips, the upper one straight and with 2 projecting stamens, the lower split into 3 narrow lobes. Flowers in the center bloom first. FRUITS: COMMENTS: Varieties of Monarda fistulosa (var. mollis, var. brevis) are recognized on the basis of type of hairiness on petioles and leaf surfaces, length of calyx, and leathery quality of leaves. Consult a technical guide (see Appendix) for identification of these. HEIGHT: 2-5 ft. DURATION:
Perennial
HABIT:
Herb
LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
Opposite LEAF COMPLEXITY:
Simple LEAF RETENTION: FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
Bilateral (Zygomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: May-September
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
x
x
x
x
x
BLOOM COLOR: Light lavender flowers
White
Red
Pink
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Lavender
Purple
Violet
Brown
Not Applicable
x
x
x
FRUITING PERIOD: DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Disturbed, Moist forests, Woods margins
NATIVE RANGE: eastern North America HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Like several other Monarda species, M. fistulosa makes an excellent cut flower. This plant is also a great addition to any pollinator garden because it attracts birds, hummingbirds and butterflies. The plant is also highly deer resistant. In the wild this plant is found growing in dry open woods, fields, wet meadows and ditches. M. fistulosa will grow in a variety of soil conditions but is not tolerant of flooding.
Bloom Table Text: Like several other Monarda species, M. fistulosa makes an excellent cut flower. This plant is also a great addition to any pollinator garden because it attracts birds, hummingbirds and butterflies. The plant is also highly deer resistant. In the wild this plant is found growing in dry open woods, fields, wet meadows and ditches. M. fistulosa will grow in a variety of soil conditions but is not tolerant of flooding.
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast
WEAKLEY FLORA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Monarda fistulosa var. fistulosa
COMMON NAME: Appalachian Bergamot
SYNONYMY: [= F, WV, X, Y; < M. fistulosa var. fistulosa - C, G, Va, Z (also see var. mollis) ; = M. fistulosa ssp. fistulosa var. fistulosa - K1, K2; < M. fistulosa ssp. fistulosa - Mo; < M. fistulosa - Pa, RAB, W; = M. fistulosa - S]
PHENOLOGY:
HABITAT: Mt (NC, VA, WV), Pd (DE, NC, VA):
COMMENTS: Moist wooded slopes, roadsides, woodland edges, old fields; common (rare in DE). Jun-Sep; Aug-Oct. CT south to sw. NC, nearly or entirely limited to the Appalachians. I have interpreted var. fistulosa and var. mollis somewhat differently than some previous workers. A more coherent geographic pattern is achieved by limiting var. fistulosa to plants with spreading hairs only.
RANGE MAP:
Key to Map SymbolsABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora) Lamiaceae Lindley 1836 or LABIATAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Mint Family) SUMMARY: A family of about 230-250 genera and 6700-7170 species, herbs, shrubs, vines, and trees, cosmopolitan. The placement in the Lamiaceae of several genera traditionally placed in Verbenaceae (e.g. Clerodendrum) is strongly supported by several lines of evidence. REFERENCE: Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora) Monarda L. (Beebalm) SUMMARY: A genus of about 12-20 species, herbs, of North America. Many of our species are cultivated, especially M. didyma in various selected forms. Additional studies are needed on a number of taxonomic problems in Monarda. Most of the varieties recognized above have been considered valid by a succession of workers; they do seem to describe morphologically distinguishable (if not entirely discrete) entities which make phytogeographic sense. REFERENCE: McClintock & Epling (1942)=Z; Scora (1967)=Y; Fosberg & Artz (1953)=X; Gill (1977); Prather & Keith (2003); Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).
HERBARIUM RESOURCES
SERNEC: Find Monarda fistulosa in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available) UNC SERNEC: Find Monarda fistulosa in
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)