Scarlet Beebalm

Monarda didyma

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Eosphoropteryx thyatyroides, Anterastria teratophora, Pyrausta orphisalis, Lintneria eremitus, Papaipema nebris
S13+S15 5 verified Eastern NA
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Perdita gerhardi, Protandrena abdominalis, Dufourea monardae
S17 3 Monarda pollen specialists from Fowler Eastern NA list

Proximity Score: 1
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: S
CEC Eco-Regions: 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.1 – Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands
Rarity Notes: Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Ontario and N3 nationally in Canada. Native range is concentrated in the Appalachian region from Ohio and New Jersey south to Georgia. NatureServe global rank G5 (Secure). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Introduced in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, where it persists as a garden escape.
S22 ON S3, N3 Canada, G5 global; S26 SARA not listed; S1 introduced QC/NB/NS
Rarity Ranks: QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON S3 – Vulnerable
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: In its native range from Ohio to New Jersey and south along the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia and Tennessee, Monarda didyma occupies moist, rich woods, stream banks, and floodplain meadows at elevations up to 6500 feet. It is a gap-edge species of mesic deciduous forests, thriving in partial shade along waterways and in openings. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region it is introduced and persists primarily as a garden escape.
S4 native habitat; S7 rich forests on banks and floodplains; S10 moist open woodlands; S1 introduced QC

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 44 bee associations (threshold=3)]
Notes: PFAF lists Monarda didyma as a good companion plant that grows well with tomatoes. Its aromatic foliage may deter mammalian herbivores from neighbouring plants. The abundant rhizomatous growth can serve as a living mulch or ground-level barrier in guild plantings. Strong nectar production attracts pollinators that benefit adjacent fruiting crops.
S29 companion reference; S10 aromatic foliage deters herbivores

Category: Analgesic, Anthelmintic, Carminative, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Expectorant, Febrifuge, Rubefacient, Sedative, Stimulant
S28 Cherokee drug categories; S29 PFAF medicinal uses
Notes: Extensively used by Cherokee for headache (leaf poultice), colds, colic, flatulence, fevers, and as a sedative for restful sleep. Infusion of leaf taken for weak bowels and stomach, nosebleed, and heart trouble. PFAF reports use as a domestic medicine for digestive disorders, with an infusion treating flatulent colic and urinary disorders. Essential oil used externally as a rubefacient for rheumatism. Contains thymol and carvacrol among 103 identified phytochemicals.
S28 13 Cherokee uses; S29 domestic medicine; S31 103 chemicals including thymol, carvacrol

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Leaves and young shoot tips used raw or cooked as a flavouring in salads and drinks. Flowers used as an edible garnish. An excellent aromatic tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves and flower heads, yielding an Earl Grey-like flavour. Cherokee used the species for food. Health Canada lists the leaf as an approved non-medicinal flavour ingredient (oral).
S29 edible parts and uses; S28 Cherokee food use; S36 NHPID flavour enhancer