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Monarda citriodora
Also called Lemon mint, Purple Horsemint
Lemon beebalm is a fragrant annual wildflower of the mint family, native to the southern US and northern Mexico, with lemon-scented leaves and purple, white or pink flowers that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It grows best in full sun in lean, well-drained or clay soil and needs little water.
Monarda citriodora is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, that is native to the southern United States and northern Mexico. Common names include lemon beebalm, lemon mint (this may also apply to Eau de Cologne mint) and purple horsemint. When crushed, the leaves emit an odor reminiscent of lemons. This odor is sometimes described as more resembling oregano, especially late in the season. Its purple flowers are highly attractive to butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
This widespread plant grows in prairies, roadsides and other sunny habitats from Arizona to Florida, and from Nebraska to Michoacán. It prefers soils with a high percentage of clay, such as the vertisols and mollisols typical of tallgrass prairies, where it sometimes forms impressive blankets of summer flowers.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Monarda citriodora by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
