Monarda 'Fireball'
bergamot
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: July to September
- Flower colour: scarlet
- Other features: fresh or dried leaves make a delicious tea
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Whorls of scarlet flowers appear in profusion from midsummer to early autumn above the aromatic, mid-green leaves. This compact bergamot is an ideal, long flowering plant for the front of the border, where it looks lovely planted in drifts. The flowers are decorative and are highly attractive to bees. - Garden care: Lift and divide large clumps in early April. Resist cutting bergamot back in autumn since the stiff, vertical stems look good all winter. These plants are very susceptible to powdery mildew, and while this rarely causes long term damage it can look unsightly towards the end of the summer. You can help reduce this by applying a 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around each plant in spring and autumn.
- Eventual Height: 0.6m
- Eventual Spread: 0.4m