Spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata) is a wildflower native to North America, including Wisconsin. It grows one to three feet tall. The ¾ to one inch flowers appear in creamy, tubular clusters that are spotted with purple dots. The flowers are surrounded by large, colorful, pink bracts that are often more eye-catching that the flowers. The bracts are usually about one to two inches long. The leaves are narrow with serrated edges. They are medium green, and lance shaped. The leaves are about three inches long and an inch wide.
This plant thrives in open, sunny habitats—prairies, rocky woodlands, sandy soils, and roadsides—and can tolerate drought, making it a resilient option for restoration or low-maintenance native gardens. It’s also a pollinator magnet, drawing in native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, solitary bees, and solitary wasps. (July)