Dotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata)
mo-NAR-dah punk-TAY-tah

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Sparingly Branched in the Lamiaceae Family
Cream-colored flowers with purple spots that attract bees and pollinators
Monarda punctata (Dotted Beebalm, also called Horsemint) is a short-lived native perennial best known for its unusual, tiered flower display: two or more whorls of small, cream-colored, purple-spotted tubular flowers stacked along an upright, largely unbranched stem, each whorl cradled by showy pink, lavender, or whitish bracts. It favors sandy, well-drained soils and is found in sand prairies, hill prairies, and sandy savannas, where it often self-sows to maintain its presence from year to year.

Pros

  • Unusual, long-lasting tiered flower display unlike any other Monarda in this catalog
  • Excellent pollinator and beneficial-insect plant, especially for native bees and wasps
  • Thrives in sandy, dry, infertile soil where many perennials struggle
  • Good mildew resistance for the genus

Cons

  • Short-lived (often behaves as an annual or biennial) and depends on self-seeding to persist
  • Needs sharp drainage - struggles in heavy clay or consistently damp soil
  • Regional in Illinois, limited mostly to sandy habitats rather than found statewide
Why Like An Illinois native, but a regional, soil-specific one - it's found occasionally in the northern half of the state and the southwest, largely confined to sandy habitats like sand prairies, hill prairies, and sandy savannas, and is rare to absent away from sandy soils.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 36 inches tall. 12 - 18 inches wide.
Growth Rate Moderate
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 3a - 8b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Fragrant Foliage, Full Sun, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Illinois Native, Medium, Native to North America, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Loamy Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Well-Drained Soil
Bloom Period July to September
Flower Color Cream With Purple Spots
 

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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 04/13 - 09/24


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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!