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Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

73
Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
2–4 feet
Spread
2–3 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 2.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 16 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Summer and fall
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Recorded in 63 Virginia counties.

Care

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

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

12CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · 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 12
  • Pyrausta generosa
  • 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

What its natural habitat tells you

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

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Summer and fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Flower color · “Pink or purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Foliage color · “Gray-green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
  • Fruit ends · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
  • Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “2–4 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Spread · “2–3 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as

Appalachian Wild Bee Balm; Appalachian Wild Bergamot

Conservation status

Virginia rankSNR
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources