Eastern Beebalm
Monarda bradburiana
- Plant Type
- Forb (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Herb
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Calcareous
- Bloom
- June, July, August, September
- Sociability
- S2 – Small groups
Pollinator Value
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 3a
- Native Status
- ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
- Closest Direction
- SW
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.3 – Southeastern USA Plains, 8.3.3 – Interior Plateau
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) per NatureServe. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. The species is endemic to the south-central United States and is not native to Ontario or Quebec. NatureServe lists subnational native occurrences in IN, KS, KY, and TX.
- Migration
- Disjunct
- Ecological Context
- A species of the mid-continental interior, Monarda bradburiana inhabits rocky upland forests, open savannas, limestone glades, and woodland borders in the south-central United States from Arkansas and Missouri east to Indiana and Kentucky. It favours thin, somewhat dry soils over limestone or sandstone, where reduced competition allows it to persist in partial shade at woodland edges and in openings maintained by periodic fire.
S10 rocky upland forests, savannas, glades; S4 fields, thickets, roadsides, woodland borders; S46 native states AL/AR/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MO/OK/TN
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 19 bee associations (threshold=3)]
- Notes
- Aromatic foliage with oregano scent may deter mammalian herbivores from neighbouring plants. Highly deer resistant. Compact stature (under 0.5 m) and tolerance of partial shade make it suitable for woodland edge guilds beneath taller native shrubs and trees.
S10 oregano scent deters herbivores; S46 deer resistant, tolerates sun/shade
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible