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oceangirlme

Beebalm....really??!!

oceangirlme
14 years ago

I was reading thru some old posts and found a link for Easy Shade Gardening (http://www.easyshadegardening.com/beebalm.html). The site lists beebalm as a good shade plant. I have always planted beebalm in very sunny spots.

Has anyone had any success growing beebalm in the shade? I have an area that gets no sunlight and I was wondering if it would grow there.

Thanks!

Comments (10)

  • Iris GW
    14 years ago

    There are some native monardas (beebalm) that grow in partial shade. They are not the showy red ones - they are usually pale pink, white or silvery colored.

    I doubt even those would do well in the full shade condition you have.

  • shpnquen
    14 years ago

    I have the dark red/burgundy type, as well as a mix of lots of colors & they are all growing in mostly shade & grow quite well each year. My only problem with the shade is that I have problems with powder mildew & have to spray them down after every rain with Fungicide 3. The powder mildew usually doesn't hit until most of the blooms are done, so it's never effected the flowers. It's not as bad if we have a drier season.

  • diytrying
    14 years ago

    Have red bee balm planted toward the edge of a shade garden. It tries its best to spread itself to the sunnier edge and those plants flower much better than the ones more in the shade.

  • bama_gardener
    14 years ago

    I have had bee balm planted in two different places in my shade garden for several years; this year it is being pulled out, every little root I can find. All it has done is become a ground cover and never a bloom. I don't even remember what color it should be! It has a nice fragrance, but I intend to put that space to better use with some different shade plants, possibly more hostas and impatiens.

  • agertz
    14 years ago

    I think it's probably about temperature as much as light with some bee balm.

    My white one prefers all-afternoon shade here on my property, but we have a hot dry summer. The afternoon sun really heats up the air. Morning sun warms it up after the cool nights, and then gives it 3-4 hrs of sun before it's in full dark shade before noon.

    In the spring, when the days were cooler, the plant was fine in all day sun. But mid-june, I had to move it.

  • joepyeweed
    14 years ago

    monarda fistulosa tolerate shade quite well. It does get powdery mildew... but it doesn't hurt the plant.

  • H MH
    5 years ago

    When I moved my magenta BB out of shade into a spot with four hours afternoon sun I never had a problem with powdery mildew again ...and the blooms were much bigger and longer lasting... plus it spread more readily, The clump easily doubled in two years in that spot whereas in dappled shade I would only get one or two spindly volunteers each year.

  • AnneMarie Fessler Ansel
    5 years ago

    I have grown Monarda in the sun and it spread like crazy. I moved it to a partial shade garden and it barely survived.

  • violetsnapdragon
    5 years ago

    I accidentally planted bee balm in a partially shady spot and was surprised that it did well. So, I'm going to say that if you only have morning sun or only have afternoon sun, it will do well. I imagine that, if you get no sun, it will not do well. Mine spreads in the area where it gets only afternoon sun, but not ridiculously, so I'm guessing that spreading is more of a problem if it gets sun all day.

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