Monarda

Monarda is a plant from the Yasnotkov family. This genus includes about 20 different species. Monards inhabit almost the entire territory of the North American continent. The name of the flower comes from the surname of the botanist N. Monardes, who described American plants. The researcher himself called this plant "Canadian oregano" and "Virginia calaminta".

Monarda is appreciated not only for its decorative effect. Such plants contain special essential oils, similar in composition to basil and lemon balm. This feature allows you to use the monarda both to decorate the site, and as a spicy herb. It was the essential oils of "American lemon balm" that attracted the interest of Europeans when this plant first came to the Old World. The aroma of grass and monarda inflorescences combines citrus and mint notes; tea from such a flower tastes like bergamot.

Description of monarda

The genus Monarda includes both annuals and perennials. They are tall (up to 1.5 m) herbaceous bushes with straight branching stems. Oblong foliage along the edges is decorated with denticles. It has a distinct aroma.

The inflorescences of the plant are capitate or brush. They reach 6-7 cm in diameter. The color of small flowers with an original shape can be purple, red, white, yellowish or variegated. The flowering period begins in mid-summer and lasts until autumn. After flowering, seeds are formed at the site of the inflorescence, which retain their germination for about 3 years.

The aroma of flowers and leaves of monarda attracts bees to the plant, and also allows the use of parts of the plant as an additive to tea or herbs. Its flowers can be cut for about 3 weeks.

Brief rules for growing monarda

The table shows brief rules for growing monarda in the open field.

Growing monarda from seeds

Sowing seeds

In warm regions, you can sow monarda seeds directly into the ground. This is done early enough - in February. Sowing before winter is also possible, immediately after collection. Cold weather will allow the seed to stratify naturally. If the snow has not yet melted by the time of sowing, the soil is cleared, and then the future bed is covered with a film for warming up. The thawed soil is loosened well, sand is added to it, and then seeds are sown. For convenience, you can mix them with sand. A very thin layer of sand is also poured over the crops. The first shoots should appear in April. Thickened crops are thinned out or planted in a permanent place. In the first year of life, seedlings do not bloom.

In colder areas, sowing seeds into the ground is carried out in the first half of summer. Seeds are spread in moist grooves, then covered with foil. The shelter is removed only with the appearance of sprouts. As they grow, they are thinned twice, and they also try to protect them from weeds. Such seedlings are transferred to a permanent place next spring.

Seedling monarda

In cold regions, preference is usually given to growing monarda using seedlings. To get the seedlings ready for planting by the spring, you will have to sow the seeds very early - in January or February. For monarda, you can use a universal seedling substrate. The seeds are buried no more than 2 cm, you can place them superficially. The container must be kept in a greenhouse until germination. The sprouts are slow in development and may appear within 3 weeks. After another 3 weeks, you can cut out the seedlings, keeping a distance of 3-4 cm between them.

Planting monarda in open ground

The best place and time to land

In the garden for the bushes, you should choose a bright place, while the plants are able to tolerate shading. In the sun, the bushes grow faster and have more spectacular foliage. In partial shade, their flowering lasts longer, and the flowers become brighter. But it is not worth placing plants in a deep shade, they should be illuminated for at least 3-4 hours a day. The corner where the monard grows should also be reliably sheltered from strong winds. Frequent impulses lead to curvature of the shoots and the disintegration of the bushes. The soil for planting should be light and calcareous or neutral. Worst of all, the bushes tolerate planting in acidic soil that does not conduct water well. They do not like tightness either.

It is better to plant the monarda in the spring, but the site must be prepared in the fall. At this time, it is carefully dug up, freed from weeds and fertilized. For 1 sq. m beds, 2-3 kg of manure, compost or peat should be added. About 45 g of superphosphate is added there, as well as lime (40 g) and potassium salt (up to 30 g). In the spring, before planting, nitrogen fertilizers are additionally applied to the garden (up to 30 g per 1 sq. M).

Landing rules

In one place, monarda bushes can grow for at least 5 years. Plants are moved into open ground approximately 2 months after the seedlings have formed at least 3 pairs of full-fledged leaf plates. When distributing seedlings between the bushes, maintain a distance of about 60 cm, and then water the plants abundantly. When planting, they try to maintain the same level of penetration.

The flower can be placed in mixborders, used in single or large group plantings, or even planted in containers. Monarda belongs to fairly frost-resistant plants and is able to withstand spring frosts down to -5 degrees. This allows it to be planted in the ground a little earlier than most plants. Most often, in the first year of planting, the monard does not bloom even with early sowing. The only exceptions are some, the most robust plants.

Caring for monarda in the garden

Monarda does not need careful maintenance. It is necessary to water the plants regularly, not too abundantly; the bushes will need daily watering only during a drought.To protect plants in extreme heat, cover the area next to the bushes with a layer of peat or humus. Sufficient moisture is considered especially important for monarda during the flowering period - in the second half of summer. Otherwise, drought will affect the number of inflorescences, as well as the immunity of the bushes.

The flower bed should be periodically loosened, and also cleaned of weeds. To prolong flowering, wilted inflorescences should be removed, although it is believed that such actions do not affect the duration of bud formation.

For feeding monarda from the 2nd year of life (on poor soils - from the 1st), complex formulations for flowering plants are used. They are brought in from mid-spring to early autumn twice a month. Organic compounds can also be used, for example, mullein diluted with water (10: 1).

To prevent the development of diseases, in spring and autumn, the bushes are treated with fungicides: copper sulfate or Fundazol.

Monarda after flowering

Seed collection

Collecting seeds from plantings is carried out at the very end of summer. Most often, the owners of species plants or amateurs of experiments resort to the seed reproduction method. The resulting seed can be sown before winter or next spring, in the ground or for seedlings. Seed germination lasts at least 3 years. Varietal specimens are recommended to be propagated by cuttings or division. If, as unnecessary, the seeds are left on the bushes, birds can feed on them.

Wintering period

Annual plants are harvested in the fall, digging up a bed for future plantings. Perennial monards are able to withstand frosts down to -25 degrees, but for reliability, the bushes should still be slightly covered. For this, a bed with plantings is covered with a thick layer of mulch or covered with spruce branches. In warm regions, last year's shoots are removed the next spring, in other cases, the bushes are cut off at the root in late autumn.

Breeding methods for monarda

In addition to growing from seeds, monarda is also propagated vegetatively. Such methods make it possible to preserve the varietal characteristics of plants that are lost when sowing seeds. One of them is the division of the bush. This procedure can be carried out for adult plants that have reached 3 years of age. Over time, the curtains of the monarda begin to disintegrate, so a timely division procedure will help to rejuvenate the plantings and preserve their decorative effect.

In the spring, after the soil warms up, the bush is pulled out of the soil, its rhizomes are thoroughly washed in running water and divided into equal parts. All sections are processed with crushed coal. Each part must have at least 3 large, healthy shoots and a sufficient number of roots. The resulting cuttings are planted in a selected place, where they will grow further. The popularity of this method of breeding monarda is associated with the rapid growth of its bushes in width. If the time for dividing has not approached, but the bushes have greatly expanded in breadth, the lateral part of the rhizome can simply be cut off with a shovel, without digging out the entire plant. Such a division is planted in the right place.

Another method of breeding monarda is grafting. Cuttings from bushes should be cut before flowering using the green shoots of the plant. Their length can be up to 10 cm. All the lower foliage is removed from them, and the upper one is shortened by a third. After that, the cuttings are planted in a box filled with wet river sand. To improve survival, you can cover the seedlings with bags or covering material. It takes about 2-3 weeks for cuttings to form roots. In the middle of summer, they can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Pests and diseases

Monarda is notable for its high resistance: the flower is able to withstand the effects of diseases and pests. Most often, they affect specimens weakened by improper care or unfavorable conditions. If the bushes are watered too rarely, and the plantings are too thick, downy mildew can develop on them, spoiling the appearance of the plants. To avoid this, you should observe the watering regime, as well as mulch the garden.This will reduce moisture evaporation. Other possible diseases of monarda include rust and tobacco mosaic, but most often they appear on too light soils and are transferred from other plants.

Weevils can appear from pests on the monard, but most often the flower itself scares away unwanted insects with its smell. The essential oils of these plants are even found in their roots.

Types and varieties of monarda with photos and names

Annual species of monarda

Monarda lemon, or citrus (Monarda citriodora)

Grown as a seasonal annual. Monarda citriodora forms shrubs up to almost 1 m tall. Its stems are covered with lanceolate leaves. Inflorescences include up to 7 whorls, in which small lilac flowers are collected. Their color can have varying degrees of intensity. This species contains the largest amount of essential oils and is used as a seasoning in a similar way to mint, lemon balm or basil.

Monarda lambada hybrid (Monarda lambada)

Dutch hybrid derived from lemon monarda. Monarda lambada has a rich lemon scent of foliage. This type is often used for cutting.

Monarda punctata

A subtropical perennial that cannot winter in colder regions. Bushes up to 80 cm tall have foliage of unusual color. Most of the plates on the shoots are colored in the usual green color, but near the inflorescences the leaves become bright pink. Monarda punctata is also known as horsemint. Its flowers are colored yellow and complemented by purple specks.

Perennial monarda species

Monarda double (Monarda didyma)

The species lives near the Great Lakes. Monarda didyma forms shrubs up to 80 cm tall. Its rhizome grows to the sides, forming straight shoots with 4-sided stems. Oval leaves have a pointed top, denticles along the edges and slight pubescence. Their length reaches 12 cm. The leaf blades are colored green, and the stipules are reddish. The diameter of the capitate inflorescences reaches 6 cm. They include many small purple or lilac flowers. The bracts are large, resemble leaves and have the same color as the flowers themselves. In gardening, the species has been used since the middle of the 17th century.

Monarda fistulosa or tubular (Monarda fistulosa)

The species lives in the eastern regions of the North American continent. Monarda fistulosa is most commonly grown as a herb. The height of the bushes reaches 1.2 m. They form a large number of shoots with simple, slightly pubescent leaves, complemented by a jagged edge. Small lilac flowers form false whorls. Reddish stipules are located next to them. Each shoot-peduncle can contain up to 9 spherical inflorescences up to 7 cm in diameter. Russian breeders have developed a more compact form of such a plant known as Victoria. In culture, the species has been cultivated since the 17th century.

Monarda hybrid (Monarda x hybrida)

This group includes hybrid varieties bred in England, Germany and America on the basis of fist and double monard. The species Monarda x hybrida forms 1 meter bushes with flowers of various colors. Among the most famous varieties:

• Lambada - with lilac or pink flowers.
• Mahogany - with deep red inflorescences.
• Pavni - with delicate lilac flowers and especially large bushes.
• Panorama - cultivar group with flowers of various colors from white to crimson and purple.
• Scarlett - flowers can be pink, scarlet or purple.
• Squaw - flowers can have different colors, the variety is highly winter-hardy.
• Fireball - with lush red inflorescences.
• Schneevitchen (or Snow Maiden) - with white globular inflorescences.
• Elsiz Lavender - with lavender flowers.

Monarda properties

The healing properties of monarda

All parts of the plant contain many useful elements. These include vitamins B1 and B2, as well as C, bioactive substances, flavonoids and essential oils.Due to this composition, monarda is widely used in traditional medicine. The essential oil of the plant is considered especially valuable. It has antibacterial, sedative, antianemic and antioxidant effects. Monarda oil has a positive effect on the immune system and helps to recover from diseases. This remedy is also recommended for patients undergoing chemotherapy: the plant is used as a fighter against radiation sickness and exposure to radiation. In addition, it is able to stimulate heart activity and relieve neuroses. Anthocyanins contained in the flower strengthen the capillary walls and improve the functioning of blood vessels.

Monarda essential oil helps in the treatment of bronchitis and asthma, and also has antiseptic properties. Monarda is able to have a healing and cosmetic effect. Oil, juice, infusion or gruel from the foliage and flowers of the plant can be used to heal burns and wounds, help fight skin flaking and acne, and help strengthen hair.

Due to the high content of essential oils, even the air near the plantings of monarda is considered healing: the bushes are able to improve the environment around them, destroying harmful substances. The flower is also used to combat mold.

The collection of monarda begins during the flowering period, a couple of weeks after its start. The tops of the plants are cut at a height of up to 30 cm from the ground, dried in the shade in bunches and used to make tea, spices or medicinal drugs.

Contraindications

Monarda should be used as a medicine after consulting a doctor. It is not recommended to treat children under 9 years of age with Monarda, in addition, its use is also undesirable for pregnant and lactating mothers. In these cases, the oil of the plant or parts of it should not be ingested or used as a flavoring agent. The flower is also contraindicated for hypertensive patients, people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases, as well as kidney or liver diseases.

Before using monarda-based products, you should make sure that there is no allergy to the components of the plant, after slightly inhaling the aroma of its oil and assessing the body's reaction.

Fresh or dried parts of the plant, as well as monarda oil, can be eaten, added to salads, soups, drinks, preparations, but you should not cook in such oil, as well as heat it on aroma lamps.

Monarda in landscape design

Monarda is often used as a decoration for landscapes and gardens. You can plant a flower in any place where there is enough sun and moisture. The plant is in perfect harmony both in properties and in appearance with silvery wormwood and hydrangea. Also, do not forget about the well-known dahlias and phloxes, among which the monard will be like a queen. To this list, you can also add cosme, sedum and rudbeckia.