Summer

An Ode to Beebalms, Our Beautiful Biodiversity Magnets

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Scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma). Photo: A. Espíndola

Among the many native plants of North America, there’s one that every summer stuns me with its beauty and its important role in our ecosystems and our lives. In today’s post, I want to share some information about a lovely group of plants local to right here, which can be easily grown in our green spaces, and which one can observe flowering right now: beebalms!

What are beebalms?

Beebalms are a group of plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae) that belong to the genus Monarda. This genus is restricted to North America and includes several species. In Maryland, there are at least four species present, one of which (M. clinopodia, the basil beebalm) is currently listed as requiring conservation actions (listed as Vulnerable). The other three species (M. didyma, M. fistulosa, M. punctata) appear to be relatively common in the region and are easy to grow in our green spaces. All species reach about 2 to 5 feet in height and are great additions to flower beds because of their beauty but also because they act as biodiversity magnets. For example, the genus Monarda has been recognized as supporting at least three rare and specialist bee species in the Eastern USA, and attracting a lot of natural enemies of pests, meaning that providing these floral resources can support the populations of bee species that depend on the pollen of these plants for their nutrition and help us naturally control pests in our green spaces. And last but not least, later in the season their fruits support birds and, if left uncut, their stems offer overwintering spaces for arthropods.

Scarlet beebalm (M. didyma)

This is a perennial species with dark red flowers that bloom during the summer. As for all beebalms, the flower heads are formed by many elongated flowers that harbor abundant nectar. The plant is incredibly attractive to pollinators, acting as a magnet to bees of all sizes, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Besides its great support to pollinators and other arthropods, this species (along with M. fistulosa) has medicinal properties, which have been identified and used since immemorable times by Native Americans. The very name of beebalm is even related to these uses, since the plant can be used to produce poultices that help with skin affections, including bee stings. Preparations of the plant are also traditionally used to help with digestive and respiratory issues. Finally, as for many mint plants, this species is rich in essential oils, which makes it a good one to flavor foods like one would do with oregano and mint. You can learn more about how to grow this species, along with other facts on this USDA information sheet.

a stand of brightly colored red flowers - monarda didyma

Scarlet beebalms display red flower heads that offer abundant nectar to a large variety of vertebrate and invertebrate pollinators. Photos: A. Espíndola, J. Schneid (CC)

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Learn what not to do in your garden this summer

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Do you do to-do lists?  I do. They help keep me focused and organized.  And boy is it satisfying to check things off.  But this time of year, I have another list, a summer What Not To-Do List for my garden.  This keeps me from serious missteps which can harm plants or waste time and money.   

Don’t: Plant

First on my What Not To-Do List is planting.  It’s just too hot and dry for plants to establish well.  Spring and fall are your best planting times.  Be wise and wait.  I know there are plant bargains to be had now.  As a career tightwad I’m tempted, too.  Don’t succumb.  

Don’t: Dig or Divide

No digging and dividing either.  Most plants prefer to have this done in spring or fall so they can settle in and develop robust roots before extreme weather.  So step away from that shovel. If you do plant or divide plants in summer you will need to water, water and water again, a significant time drain.  And still, your plants will be stressed. Very stressed.  

Don’t: Prune

Third on my What Not To-Do List is pruning.  Trees hate to be pruned in summer.  They weep copious sap and those wounds attract the abundant insects and diseases afoot now.  Summer pruning courts disaster.  Instead, prune trees in the dormant season – January to mid-March – when they are less vulnerable.  

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Q&A: What is a good summer-blooming plant that’s deer resistant?

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Yellow flowers of St. Johnswort plant
St. Johnswort flowers. Photo: M. Talabac

Q:  What can I use as a summer-blooming shrub, especially if this part of the garden is sunny and somewhat dry? I also sometimes have deer problems.

A:  I think St. Johnsworts (Hypericum) are underused, and several species are native here in Maryland, though those might be harder to source. Some of the commonly-grown forms are non-native hybrids, though well-behaved ecologically. (The only locally invasive species, Hypericum perforatum, is fortunately not likely to be sold at a nursery.)

St. Johnsworts bloom anywhere between June and September, prefer direct sun, generally tolerate drought well, and are distasteful to deer. Blooms are nearly always an intense yellow, and some species or cultivars have colorful summer or autumn foliage. A few cultivars have berry-like seeds that ripen by fall and make good bouquet accents. I love the bark on native Hypericum densiflorum – peeling with a smooth underlayer that’s a rich, warm-toned cinnamon-brown that’s especially showy during dormancy.

You’ll find St. Johnsworts sold as both perennials and shrubs, because some species stay low, sprawl like a groundcover, and have stems that aren’t very woody, occasionally dying back in winter as other perennials do. Other species have woody stems and grow to about three or four feet tall and wide. Flowers are loaded with pollen, but no nectar, so butterflies will probably detour while bees and flower flies (predators we like to keep in the garden) will visit. Don’t deadhead developing seed capsules if you want to support Gray Hairstreak butterfly caterpillars, which can use Hypericum as a host plant (among a huge variety of other plants).

For more plant ideas, visit the Home & Garden Information Center’s pages on Plant Selection and Deer-Resistant Native Plants.

By Miri Talabac, Horticulturist, University of Maryland Extension Home & Garden Information Center. Miri writes the Garden Q&A for The Baltimore Sun. Read more by Miri.

Questions about home gardening? Send them to Ask Extension

Food gardening in summer heat

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“Hot enough for you?”

That used to be a summer joke, right? I haven’t heard it in a while. We all know it’s way too hot out there. This time of year, with the heat and humidity and bugs and weeds, it’s a challenge even to step into the garden and do what needs to be done. But if we ignore our garden tasks they just get more overwhelming. I’m overwhelmed myself, but let me try to give you a few hints on making summer in the vegetable garden more bearable.

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Even plants like eggplant that like the heat can fail to form flowers or fruits when it gets really hot. A little afternoon shade helps.

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Leafy greens for the summer garden

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The end of the spring lettuce and spinach harvest doesn’t mean we have to wait until fall to enjoy home-grown leafy greens. In addition to the kales and collards we know and love there is a world of heat tolerant leafy green crops that grow well in Maryland. These plants tend to grow rapidly and quickly fill their allotted space. They can all be eaten fresh or cooked and can help you introduce new textures, flavors, and culinary accents to your kitchen table.

Find local and online seed sources for these crops and follow planting instructions on seed packets and on seed company websites. Most of the leafy greens below can be treated as cut-and-come-again crops: they put on new growth below each harvesting cut.

Leafy green vegetables are some of the easiest and most nutritious crops our garden can produce. Of course, with any new crop it may take several years of growing and experimenting to decide if it will work for you and the people who eat from your garden. Continue reading →

Brown Patch in Maryland Lawns

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Along with the start of summer time comes a common lawn disease for Maryland homeowners’ lawns called brown patch. The disease is caused by several fungal species of Rhizoctonia.  Rainy summers are worse, but even drier summers have brown patch disease pressure from moisture that develops from evening dew. Although tall fescue is the recommended turf variety for Maryland lawns, most cultivars are still very susceptible to this problem disease.

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