Lemon Mint (Monarda citriodora): Citrus-Scented Bee Balm

Lemon Mint: The Lemon-Scented Annual Bee Balm

Lemon mint (Monarda citriodora), also called lemon balm (not to be confused with Melissa officinalis), purple horsemint, or lemon bee balm, is an annual or biennial native to the central and southern U.S. Its lance-shaped leaves have a strong lemon-citrus fragrance, and it produces stacked whorls of lavender-pink flowers.

Botanical Profile

Grows 1–3 feet tall with square stems. The leaves are narrower than M. didyma. Flowers appear in dense, interrupted spikes from late spring to fall. It readily self-seeds.

Uses and Cultivation

• Herbal tea: Refreshing lemon-mint flavor.
• Pollinator plant: Attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds.
• Cut flowers: Unique stacked form.
• Reseeding annual: Naturalizes in meadows, roadsides.

Grow in full sun to part shade, well-drained soil. Drought tolerant. Sow seeds in fall or early spring. Allow some to seed for return. Annual/biennial in USDA zones 5–9.