Description
USDA zones: 2-11
Plant size: Mature lemon balm plants grow 12-30" high with a spread of about 7" to 12".
Planting location: Choose a spot in full sun to partial shade. Lemon mint does well in garden margins, or anywhere it's likely to be neglected. Go ahead. Put Baby in the corner.
Soil preferences: Lemon mint has a wide pH tolerance, but appreciates a little added crushed limestone. Mixing aged compost to compacted soils will improve drainage and give young plants a healthy start, but additional fertilization may cause "legginess".
Moisture: Once established, Monarda citriodora needs little irrigation. Too much water during the growing season can cause issues with powdery mildew, but moist, well-drained soils will extend lemon mint's flowering well into fall.
Companion plants: Members of the Monarda family are gregarious, though radishes tend to disagree.
Pests and Diseases: Lemon mint's citronella scent tends to repel many pests, but its showy, fragrant flowers are irresistible to many pollinating insects and beneficial wasps.
