A Tale of Two Monardas

First there is the hybrid Monarda, 'Violet Queen.' It was one of the plants ordered using a holiday gift certificate. It did well for a while, but then one spring it caught the dreaded powdery mildew, along with two phlox. One of the phlox and this monarda got it bad, and died. This is contrary to most advice that says powdery mildew will rarely kill the plants infected.

Then, there is the native monarda, monarda fistulosa. This is a lavender-pink color, and does not grow as compactly and neatly as the hybrid. I picked this up at a master gardener plant swap. It was to become an invasive thug in my garden, spreading profusely through every winter and choking out everything in its path. Now each spring, I devote several days ripping it out, trying to limit it to a small patch.

I need to state that both are blooming now. And, the bees appear to appreciate each equally well. During my annual clean out, I transplanted several of the invasive monarda runners fron garden bed to a very steep slope, encouraging it to spread there and help hold the bank of soil in place.

And, what about the Violet Queen monarda? A good gardening friend who also received the gift certificate ordered the same monarda. Her plant continued to survive, so I received a few sprigs two years ago. I am happy to report that it is again doing very well here, even surviving the four-lined plant bug this spring.

And what about the phlox that survived? That was a shade-loving native woodland phlox. It took a big hit, but with two years of TLC, it's back on its feet. Lesson of this post: don't ignore powdery mildew. Even though it may not kill the plant, it along with other possible problems will.

Oh, and it's Pollinators Week! They don't call this bee balm for nothing.