Marshall's Delite has been reliable for me. I also have others from cuttings a friend gave me, a red and a white and they both returned.

Monardas are like weeds. Once established, they spread enormously. I hava a friend who installs and sinks sheet metal walls to prevent them from encroaching or better yet taking over.

Monarda is so prolific, one should rarely have to buy them since if you have gardening friends who have it growing, they will gladly share with you.

I have to agree with birdsong. I bought a misidentified monarda some 20 years ago and I've never been able to get rid of it. It gets into everything, and some years the flowerheads don't even develope flowers. Were I to do again, I wouldn't. But if congress passed a law requiring all homeowner's to grow it, I'd plant it in a seperate bed. It is one of those weeds that is deceptively easy to pull, kind of like lambs quarters - and like lambs quarters, it will outlive my tenure in the garden, and probably be part of the bouquet on my coffin.

I haven't had any massive trouble with my monardas. I have Jacob Cline, Claire Grace, Marshalls Delight, Blue Stocking, and probably one or two more, but have lost the tags. I did purchase Raspberry Wine, but I'm unsure if it died off or if it's still going. The Jacob Cline has got to be about 6 years old now. I have divided it, but it hasn't spread bad at all (in full sun). My favorite is still Blue Stocking, which has beautiful foliage and blooms after all of the others. They all have come back faithfully for me, although I did lose a Marshalls Delight a few years ago. Lambada, which I've read on alot of websites, is hardy to Z5. It is not in Z6! I originally purchased mine from Bluestone. They did reply back saying that they received alot of complaints, and that they were going to reclassify as Z6 and warmer. I had told them that they didn't survive in Z6, and others in Z6 had the same problems. Needless to say, they haven't changed it on their website. This correspondence happened back in 2003, which is really upsetting, since I consider Bluestone an invaluable source.

I'm reading all of the replies. Lambada is one I really wanted as well as citriodora. Lately I'm on a species kick but I have to admit the hybrids are no slouches in the look department.
Well, I haven't met too many gardeners in Jersey yet. I'm sort of the neighborhood eccentric who isn't planting the evergreen hedge and rhododendrons. I also abhor a straight row. I suspect they will have to get their monardas from me. I have noticed that my idea of a grass free front yard is gathering some neighborhood fans!

Sheila

Good for you. Despite all I said, a neighborhood of monardas would be a vast improvement over the usual landscaping. One is reminded that landscaping is entirely different from gardening. Gardening implies a gardener, out there in the garden, making his or her own mistakes. Landscaping is something you purchase so you don't have to spend time in the yard working. I'm lucky, several of my neighbors along our country road are also gardeners. Its easy to tell when you drive by; they're the ones in the dirty clothes.