Monarda didyma Balmy Purple ('Balbalmurp'PBR) (Balmy Series)![RHS Plants for pollinators](/assets/styles/images/icons/RHS_Bee_YELLOW-REGISTERED.png)
![RHS Plants for pollinators](/assets/styles/images/icons/RHS_Bee_YELLOW-REGISTERED.png)
bergamot [Balmy Purple]
A compact, clump-forming, dwarf perennial to 30cm tall, bearing aromatic, lance-shaped, dark green leaves, and producing tiers of reddish-purple flowers with decorative bracts on short, upright stems from midsummer to early autumn
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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Green | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Purple Red | Green | ||
Autumn | Purple Red | Green | ||
Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H4Botanical details
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Genus
Monarda can be annuals or clump-forming herbaceous perennials with aromatic, ovate leaves and terminal whorls of 2-lipped, tubular flowers from summer to early autumn
- Name status
Trade
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Protect from excessive winter wet and do not allow to dry out in summer. Lift and divide every three years.
Propagation
Propagate by division in spring or root basal softwood cuttings in spring for home use
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Prairie planting
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Deadheading regularly may prolong flowering; cut back to ground level in autumn
Pests
May be susceptible to slugs, especially in spring
Diseases
This cultivar is said to show very good resistance to powdery mildews that often affect Monardas
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