Summary ³

Monarda punctata is a herbaceous plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, that is native to eastern Canada, the eastern United States and northeastern Mexico. Common names include spotted beebalm and horsemint.

Description ⁴

Family:
Lamiaceae (Mint)

Height:
1 to 3 feet

Leaves:
Leaves (1-3” long, up to ½” wide) are oppositely attached, lance-shaped, softly hairy, and finely serrated.

Flower:
Flowers are a dull yellow with purple-brown spots. They are narrow, long, and tubular in shape, occurring in several, clustered whorls at the top of the plant. These whorls are tiered and subtended by many leaf-like bracts, which range in color from pale pink or lavender to pure white.

Bloom time:
July-September

Nicknames:
Spotted Bee Balm, Dotted Horsemint, Dotted Mint

Habitat:
Spotted Horsemint prefers full sun and dry to well-drained, sandy soils. It is commonly found in dry prairies, sandy savannas, dunes, and occasionally in dry, rocky, open woodlands.

Wildlife Benefits:
Nectar and pollen are attractive to hummingbirds and many species of bees and butterflies, including the federally endangered Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). Foliage and flowers are a food source for several species of caterpillars and beetles.

Can I plant this in my garden?
Spotted Horsemint is a popular garden plant with a unique, attractive appearance. It does best in full sun and dry, sandy soils, and has trouble competing with other species in more moist and fertile soils. However, given adequate space and sunlight, it can do well under a range of other conditions.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/spotted-horsemint
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/sp_balm.htm
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/monarda-punctata/

Range ⁴

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
2. (c) Mark Kluge, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Mark Kluge
3. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarda_punctata
4. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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