Quercus

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Care

  • Water during dry spells to reduce mildew stress.
Care sources
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

13CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Monarda

  • Anterastria teratophoraGrey Marvel, White Spotted Jaspidia
  • Eosphoropteryx thyatyroidesPink-Patched Looper Moth
  • Lintneria eremitusHermit Sphinx
  • Orthodes majusculaRustic Quaker, Rustic Groundcat
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Pyrausta orphisalisOrange Mint Moth, Orange Spotted Pyrausta
  • Pyrausta signatalisRaspberry Pyrausta
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Synchlora frondariaSouthern Emerald
  • Chionodes fondella
Show all 13
  • Pyrausta generosa
  • Pyrausta inveterascalis
  • Xenotemna pallorana
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
37BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Monarda

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
4Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Monarda

  • Dufourea monardae
  • Perdita gerhardi
  • Perdita variegata
  • Protandrena abdominalis
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Flies 4
  • Exoprosopa decora
  • Exoprosopa fasciata
  • Physocephala tibialis
  • Systoechus vulgaris

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 15
  • Achalarus lycidas
  • Anosia plexippus
  • Argynnis cybele
  • Atrytone delaware
  • Hemaris axillaris
  • Hemaris thysbe
  • Papilio asterias
  • Pholisora catullus
  • Pholisora hayhurstii
  • Pontia protodice
Show all 15
  • Speyeria idalia
  • Thorybes bathyllus
  • Vanessa atalanta
  • Vanessa cardui
  • Vanessa huntera

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 1
  • Leionotus dorsalis

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Lamiaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–9b
Flower color
Pink or purple
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Gray-green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Appalachian Wild Bee Balm; Appalachian Wild Bergamot

Conservation status

Kentucky rankNot available
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources