There is a fine example of a flowering workaholic. :)

monarda ... the one i had was a perennial in MI ... why would this one be dead to the ground ...??? kach.. next time.. throw in a scale ... anything we might recognize ... very slightly reminds me of bachelor button [the annual one.. not the perennial one...lol] .. cornflower ... or which i never knew the latin name ... ken well not after i looked at the pix.. but they are so pretty i offer the link.. and dont delete my response ... this is 5 mins of my life i will never get back.. lol https://www.google.com/search?q=bachelor+button..+cornflower+seed+pod&biw=878&bih=745&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjBn_jMz8LJAhUTqoMKHTekCoIQ_AUIBigB&dpr=0.9

I'm pretty sure it grows on a trunk like Cori Ann's second picture. I don't think it's hibicus though because I know what they look like... hmm that picture looks really good. Maybe I should get hibiscus.

Don't know if the plant will make it. While removing the diseased parts I saw that the main stem at ground level is split open with some tan colored substance coming out. So maybe it is hanging on a thread at this point. Our weather has been excessively swampy which is normal for us in mid to late July. I've a feeling that had a negative impact on it. We do have pumpkin growers in our region but I imagine their fields have better circulation than us. We are living at the edge of the woods and the air here is often quite still and humid. That doesn't help. I'm keeping a close eye on it and hoping it can survive long enough to pick our veggie. This made me think about the summer our neighbors gave us a tomato plant and it gave us one solitary tomato! Lol