I love Bee Balm (Monarda). It is such a long-blooming, easy to grow perennial plant, and the bright reddish-maroon flowers attract lots of hummingbirds. Click on any photo to view a larger version.
-
Hummingbird and bee balm flower
-
Bee balm plants and flowers
-
About Bee Balm:
Several Bee Balm species (Monarda fistulosa and Monarda didyma) have a long history of use as a medicinal plants by many Native Americans including the Blackfoot, Menominee, Ojibwa, Winnebago and others. 
The Blackfoot Indians recognized the strong antiseptic action of these plants, and used poultices of the plant for skin infections and minor wounds. A tea made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis. Bee Balm is the natural source of the antiseptic Thymol, the primary active ingredient in modern commercial mouthwash formulas. The Winnebago used a tea made from bee Balm as a general stimulant.
Although somewhat bitter, due to the thymol content in the plants leaves and buds, the plant tastes like a mix of spearmint and peppermint with oregano, to which it is closely related. Bee Balm was traditionally used by Native Americans as a seasoning for wild game, particularly birds.
Bee balm is considered a good plant to grow with tomatoes, ostensibly improving both health and flavor. It also is a good companion plant in general, attracting pollinators and some predatory/parasitic insects that hunt garden pests.
For medicinal usage, Monarda has been known to treat headaches and fevers by infusing crushed leaves in boiling water.
Info from wikipedia
-
Related posts:
July Flowers
New rock wall flower bed
-
Your comments are appreciated and welcome here, even on older posts. Just click on any post title or link and the comment form is at the end of each post. Your email address will not be displayed or shared. Feel free to leave your own, family-safe website link.
Hi Sherry, well I’m not at all sure if I like the look of this flower or not, as it looks pretty strange… I do though love the way you captured the hummingbird in that picture…. Do they come in different colors other then this one…??
Hi Spider,
They are somewhat strange looking flowers, very “spidery” looking. I love them though, they attract bees and the red ones especially attract hummingbirds. Yes, they do come in different colors, from this maroon color I have to a red, pink and light purple. These plants are herbs and have a lot of uses (added above). The drawbacks to these plants are that they are very tall, and heavy rains make them fall over, and they are also susceptible to mildew.
Thanks for visiting. :)
-Sherry
[...] posts: Hummingbirds and Bee Balm Hummingbirds at feeder Hummingbird [...]
Lens envy again. These are spectacular captures, as is the blueberry one above.
Does bee balm attract a lot of bees? We were thinking of putting it near a swimming pool and we certainly would not want bees around there!
Hi Cathy,
They do attract bees, not a huge amount though. Plus, they just bloom for a few weeks.