Monarda punctata (Spotted Horsemint)

A genuinely unique-looking Monarda with a confirmed New Jersey native range, spotted horsemint is a named larval host for the rare Karner Blue butterfly and supports three specialist bee species that visit almost exclusively members of this genus - exceptional ecological specificity for a sandy-soil restoration species.

Species Overview

Monarda punctata, known as spotted horsemint or spotted beebalm, is native to the eastern United States from New Jersey to southern Florida and west to Texas. It is instantly recognized by its unusual "stacked" arrangement of multiple whorls of creamy, purple-speckled tubular flowers, each subtended by showy pink or lavender leaf-like bracts, on a single stem.

Application

• Sandy prairie, savanna, and dune restoration
• Larval host habitat for the Karner Blue butterfly and Raspberry Pyrausta
• Specialist bee habitat (Dufourea monardae and other Monarda-specific bees)
• Cut flower and pollinator garden plantings

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Dry, sandy, well-drained soils; tolerates occasionally dry sites
• Plant Type: Forb
• Mature Height: 1-2 ft.
• Fall Color: Insignificant/None
• Bloom Color / Period: Pink, Purple; July-September
• Wetland Indicator Status: NI (No Indicator) - see flags
• Native Range: New Jersey to southern Florida, west to Texas
• Hydrology: Dry-Mesic
• Root Depth: Shallow (Under 12 in.)
• Salinity Tolerance: Low
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Drought Tolerance: High
• Flood Tolerance: Low - A dry, sandy-soil specialist; not tolerant of standing water.
• Shade Tolerance: Intolerant
• Growth Habit: Upright
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
• Deer Resistance: Yes (Rarely Damaged)
• Pollinator Value: Larval host, supports bees, supports specialist/oligolectic bees, supports butterflies, supports moths

Planting Guidance

• A short-lived perennial or biennial - reliably emerges for about 2 years and may reseed thereafter; wait until early fall dormancy to transplant.