Variety field guide
What to expect from Lemon Bee Balm
Lemon Bee Balm seeds produce purple bloom on 25–30 in upright/erect plants. Annual growth and Summer bloom make it useful for native plantings, pollinator habitat, meadow edges, restoration-inspired gardens, and seed saving.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Lemon Bee Balm seeds produce purple bloom on 25–30 in upright/erect plants. Annual growth and Summer bloom make it useful for native plantings, pollinator habitat, meadow edges, restoration-inspired gardens, and seed saving.
About Lemon Bee Balm
Lemon Bee Balm is an annual flowering plant with purple color, 25–30 in mature height or spread, and an upright/erect habit. Harvest form or size: Flower or head form characteristic of Lemon Bee Balm; mature plant 25–30 in. Botanically it is Monarda citriodora. Maturity or first bloom: 90-99 Days; germination: 10-21 Days at 65–80 °F. Best for native plantings, pollinator habitat, meadow edges, restoration-inspired gardens, and seed saving. Grown for ornamental or habitat use rather than as a food crop.
History and provenance
This named flower is part of the long seed-catalog tradition of selecting annuals for color, stature, bloom form, cutting, edging, containers, or meadow use. Where no reliable breeder or release record is available, the cultivar name is retained without adding a precise date, person, or provenance story. A complete public breeder or release record for the named Lemon Bee Balm strain has not been located. The cultivar name is retained, but no person, community, date, or place of origin is assigned without reliable documentation. Lemon Bee Balm Seeds grow Monarda citriodora, an aromatic native annual or short-lived biennial often called lemon mint, lemon horsemint, or purple horsemint. Upright stems carry stacked rings of lavender-pink flowers above narrow fragrant leaves. Use lemon bee balm in sunny pollinator beds, herb gardens, cottage borders, and larger containers. It can flower in its first season, making it useful where gardeners want a faster Monarda while slower perennial bee balm is still establishing.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Monarda citriodora |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Annual |
| Maturity / first bloom | 90-99 Days |
| Germination | 10-21 Days at 65–80 °F |
| Seed depth | Surface Sow |
| Plant height / spread | 25–30 in |
| Growth habit | Upright/Erect |
| Spacing | 12 in between plants; 18 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Drought tolerant |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Lemon Bee Balm from seed
How to grow Lemon Bee Balm
Botanical identity: Monarda citriodora. Life cycle: Annual.
Sow Surface Sow and use a seed-zone temperature near 65–80 °F. Expected emergence: 10-21 Days. Use clean seed-starting conditions, the listed depth and temperature, and steady moisture without saturation.
Plant during Spring. Space plants 12 in apart with 18 in between rows or planting bands.
Provide Full sun, drought tolerant water, and loamy near pH 6.0–6.5. Support: No-Support.
Garden performance and care
For a longer display of Lemon Bee Balm, remove spent blooms unless seed is being saved. Give the plant its listed spacing, cut flowers with clean tools, and leave selected heads to mature fully for seed. Expected emergence is 10-21 Days; the listed maturity or bloom timing is 90-99 Days.
Harvest, bloom, and uses
Lemon Bee Balm is suited to native plantings, pollinator habitat, meadow edges, restoration-inspired gardens, and seed saving. Its purple flowers and 25–30 in stature help determine whether it belongs in a border, cutting row, container, meadow edge, or restoration-style planting. Grown for ornamental or habitat use rather than as a food crop.
Saving seed
Choose several healthy, true-to-type plants rather than saving from one unusually early or large individual. Allow seed structures to mature fully beyond the ornamental stage, harvest in dry weather, and finish drying under cover. Clean out chaff and damaged seed, keep the lot labeled through every step, record isolation and selection, and store fully dry seed in a cool, dark, low-humidity place. Confirm the species pollination system before promising varietal purity.
Common problems
Common concerns: damping-off from saturated media; poor emergence from wrong temperature or depth; leggy seedlings from weak light; crowding and weak airflow; lodging in wind or rain; feeding damage from slugs, caterpillars, beetles, or mammals; foliar disease under prolonged leaf wetness. Management: use clean media, the sowing depth and temperature, strong light, appropriate thinning, and morning irrigation at soil level. Match support to plant height before wind becomes a problem. Inspect regularly and use the least disruptive control appropriate to the pest, plant, and pollinator setting. Remove diseased debris and rotate annual flower beds where recurring disease is severe.
Frequently asked questions
When is Lemon Bee Balm ready?
90-99 Days from sowing to the primary bloom or market stage used for the listed maturity range
How long does germination take?
Expect 10-21 Days near 65–80 °F; actual emergence changes with moisture, seed condition, and soil temperature.
How large does it grow?
About 25–30 in with an upright/erect habit. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container?
Possible in a large container, raised bed, or in-ground planting with room for the mature plant
How is it used?
Primary role: Native plantings, pollinator habitat, meadow edges, restoration-inspired gardens, and seed saving. Grown for ornamental or habitat use rather than as a food crop.
Can I save seed?
Yes where the crop biology allows, but keep compatible varieties isolated, use several healthy plants, wait for full seed maturity, dry thoroughly, and label the lot.
Minimum Seed Count:400 seeds
