Pardon My Cerise Bee Balm — Dwarf Monarda (Monarda didyma 'Pardon My Cerise') · 1.5 Gal

Bee balm has a reputation: gorgeous in June, then a tall, leggy, mildew-spotted mess by August. Pardon My Cerise skips all that.

It stays low and tidy — a compact 14–18" mound — but the flowers don't shrink with it: big 2½–3" cherry-cerise blooms that bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds work over for weeks through mid-to-late summer. It's a Proven Winners selection bred for excellent mildew resistance, so the foliage stays clean and aromatic (brush it and you'll see why the deer and rabbits keep walking).

One rule for our Northern Virginia gardens, and it's the opposite of most summer plants: keep it moist. Bee balm likes rich soil and steady water — let it dry out and you invite the very mildew this variety was bred to resist, so give it a drink and a little air around it. Happy and watered, it's hardy in zones 4–8: a true perennial that comes back year after year.

The basics

• ☀️ Full sun to part shade · rich, consistently moist soil
• 📏 14–18" tall, 10–12" wide — compact mound
• 🌸 Big 2½–3" cherry-cerise blooms, mid–late summer
• ❄️ Hardy zones 4–8 — a true perennial here, comes back every year
• 🐝 Pollinator favorite — bees, butterflies & hummingbirds · deer- & rabbit-resistant

🌿 Order online and pick up in store — we'll have it boxed and ready when you arrive. Limited stock, so grab yours before they're gone.