Monarda didyma Panorama Red Shades seeds - Beebalm

Monarda didyma 'Panorama Red Shades' is a decorative countryside perennial known for its scarlet red inflorescences resembling dense pompoms. Its bright green, aromatic foliage releases a pleasant lemony scent when crushed. This cultivar stands out for its ability to flower young and its resistance to powdery mildew, a rare quality among seed-grown monardas. In the garden, it attracts a host of pollinators.

Monarda didyma 'Panorama Red Shades' is a herbaceous perennial plant from the Lamiaceae family. It is known by various common names such as scarlet beebalm, Oswego tea, bergamot, or gold balm. Native to eastern North America, the wild Monarda didyma species is naturally found in moist forests, woodland edges, and riverbanks, from Maine and Ontario to Georgia and Missouri.

The 'Panorama Red Shades' cultivar was developed by the German company Benary as part of the "Panorama" series, which includes varieties from seed that offer uniform flowering in vibrant shades of red, pink, and salmon. This series is appreciated for its ability to produce robust, mildew-resistant plants that flower from the second year after sowing.
The variety 'Panorama Red Shades' has an upright, bushy habit, forming dense clumps 80 to 90 cm in height and about 45 cm wide. Flowering is abundant from June to August, peaking in July. The tubular, two-lipped flowers, measuring 3 to 4 cm long, are grouped in dense terminal inflorescences, resembling ruffled pompoms. Their colour ranges from bright red to scarlet, with bracts often tinged purple. The nectar-rich and honey-producing flowers attract bees and butterflies. The foliage consists of opposite, ovate to lanceolate, 7 to 15 cm long leaves with serrated edges. Slightly rough in texture, they release a lemony and minty fragrance when crushed. The aerial growth is deciduous, dying back in winter and reappearing the following spring. The fruits are dry, inconspicuous achenes containing fine seeds. The plant propagates easily by sowing, division of clumps, or propagation by cuttings.

Happy in sun or light shade, Monarda 'Panorama Red Shades' prefers ordinary soils that do not dry out in summer. In an aromatic garden or a natural garden, it remains very original in the middle of a border. Pair it with Veronicastrum virginicum 'Kleine Erika', Sanguisorba officinalis 'Tanna' with fine burgundy pompoms that subtly complement the bright red, or even perennial lobelias.

Monarda didyma is appreciated both for its decorative appeal and its culinary and medicinal uses. Its aromatic foliage can be consumed fresh or dried, particularly in infusions, where it releases lemony and minty notes. In cooking, the leaves delicately flavour meats and fish, while the flowers, with a slightly peppery taste, add an original touch to salads. Traditionally, the plant is also used for its digestive, tonic, and soothing properties in cases of breathing difficulties.