Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 1998Good Qualities
Bright color (2); Germination easy & quick; Appears mildew resistant; Good stem; Plants have grown well in spite of record drought; Good seed viability & seedling vigor; Good fragrance; Unique shape of blossoms; Good line flower for florists; Fairly good vaselife; Leaves very aromatic; Lemon; Hardy, vigorous plant; Shows promise if we can control powdery mildew.Problems
Many did not bloom or limited quantity of bloom (2); Needs support; Many plants grew to only 12-14; tall; Late to flower; Too small to transplant this year - will next year; Some damping off in greenhouse - needed higher germination temps; A little slow on the start, but caught up fairly quick in the field. Could probably benefit from cooler temps for growing season; Tended to drop blossoms after harvest; Poor germination; Powdery mildew; Our heat & alkaline soil conspired against this plant. It eventually dried up and blew away.Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating¹ | Repeat Again Rating¹ | Ease of Cultivation Rating¹ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 1.8 | 14.7 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Comments
Couldn't figure out when to cut, never seemed to look good enough to cut. Don't think the fertility was what it needed to be where it was planted; Being a hardy perennial, I'm hoping next year will be more promising for this plant. I've grown 'Bee Balm' in the past & hope this perennial will produce many useable stems for mixed bouquets next year; Will leave in ground for next year's flower; I will definitely attempt to buy seed for this to see if it measured up to the Monarda 'Lambada' that has many cuts, is scented, & holds up very well in bouquets.; Hope this will winter; Was just starting to flower in mid-October; Similar to Monarda 'Jacob Cline' an excellent red from cuttings.