Kick off pollinator season early with Monarda ‘Midnight Oil’, a native Bee Balm known for its rich burgundy foliage and early blooming pink flowers.

This compact perennial blooms weeks ahead of traditional bee balms, bringing vibrant color and pollinator activity to your garden in late spring, when few other plants are flowering.

Why Gardeners Love It

• Blooms earlier than other bee balms (mid-May–June)
• Striking burgundy-red foliage adds season-long interest
• Attracts bees, butterflies & hummingbirds
• Compact, tidy growth—great for smaller spaces
• Deer & rabbit resistant

What You’ll Receive

• Quantity: 1 live plant
• Size: 1 gallon pot (well-rooted & established)

Plant Details

• Botanical Name: Monarda bradburiana ‘Midnight Oil’
• Common Names: Bee Balm, Eastern Beebalm, Bergamot
• Plant Type: Native herbaceous perennial
• Height: 18–24 inches
• Spread: 18–24 inches
• Bloom Color: Soft pink with magenta speckles
• Bloom Season: Mid-May to late June (early bloomer)
• Hardiness Zones: 4–9

Care Instructions

• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Water: Moderate; prefers well-drained soil
• Soil: Average to dry, well-draining
• Maintenance: Cut back after bloom to tidy shape

More mildew-resistant than many taller Monarda varieties

Perfect For

• Early-season pollinator gardens
• Native plant landscapes
• Cottage & wildflower gardens
• Borders & compact garden spaces
• Hummingbird-friendly gardens

Plant Condition Disclosure

Live plants may be shipped dormant, leafless, recently pruned, bare root, or partially defoliated depending on season, weather, and shipping requirements.

Natural variation in size, branching, foliage density, color, root structure, and overall appearance should be expected.

Important Note

You will receive a live starter plant (seedling/young plant). Listing photos show the plant at a mature stage for reference only. The actual plant size, shape, and appearance may vary and will be significantly smaller than the images shown.

Customer Notice for Live Plants

Live plants may experience normal shipping stress such as leaf loss, yellowing, wilting, or minor branch damage.

Please consider local weather before purchasing. Extreme heat, freezing temperatures, severe weather, shipping delays, or unattended packages may increase plant stress.

Due to the perishable nature of live plants, returns are generally not accepted. If there is an issue with your order, please contact us within 48 hours of delivery and provide the required photos for review.

• Photos of the shipping box
• Photo of the shipping label
• Clear photos of the plant from multiple angles
• Scratch test photos if the plant appears dead or dormant

Dormant, stressed, defoliated, wilted, or transit-shocked plants are not automatically considered dead.

Claims submitted without the required photos or more than 48 hours after delivery may not be eligible for review, replacement, or refund.