echinaceamaniac wrote: I picture someone like Johnny Appleseed running around planting the Wild Bergamot in someone else's yard and getting angry when they weed whack it. Thank's for that mental image. I needed to laugh today! You're welcome. :) And I don't know whether Ken has discovered the wild bergamot that I planted in his yard yet. LOL. ---------------------------- summersunshine wrote: I would rather see native plants growing vigorously and fighting off the true weeds (non-natives like dandelions and garlic mustard). Amen to that! ---------------------------- terrene wrote: The Monarda will probably recover just fine after one accidental weed whacking. Although since you just transplanted it, AND it got whacked, that is a double whammy so the plants may recover quite slowly or even die if it's very dry and they don't get water. Thanks for the helpful info. Yes, I'll try to make sure it gets plenty of water.

JPool, wild bergamot, bee balm, and monarda are all the same plant, except that the red flowering type is monarda didyma, and the purple flowering type is m. fistulosa. Mine got a little powdery mildew earlier this spring, even though it was the cultivar 'Claire Grace' which isn't supposed to get any. It was minor, though. I wish it'd keep blooming like this all summer! MissSherry

Tammy, Usually when I hear someone say "wild bergamot" they are referring to Monarda fistulosa, the pink or purplish flowered upright native mint that occurs in the wild across the eastern and midwestern US (and perhaps farther west and north). Mentha citrata is another plant entirely, and I don't know anything about Mentha citrata. However, if you're talking about Modarda fistulosa, then I don't think you'll have any problems with it taking over your daylily beds. Wild bergamot does spread in the garden, but isn't any more invasive than most perennials, in my experience. I would say it spreads about as much as daylilys, so I think the two will coexist just fine.

I would not call it a xeriscape plant. It is mostly an east Texas plant,...but it also grows in New Mexico but they have cool nights that is gentle on plants. Those might be in the mountains where it is wetter.