Sugar Buzz® Grape Gumball Bee Balm

Don't be without these useful—and absolutely gorgeous—compact Monarda for your Butterfly Garden and near your Victory Garden. You'll love the intricate shape and bold color of these nectar-rich flowers!

One of the best cultivars of a native Bergamot, Sugar Buzz Grape Gumball Bee Balm (Monarda didyma 'Grape Gumball') is a winner in any garden. This variety boasts a top-notch shape, performance, color and long-lasting flowering display.

In other words, this is an improved selection of native Monarda. Sugar Buzz is a modern natural selection developed for today's smaller yards. It stays nice and compact, growing to the full spread listed in the Plant Highlights.

With sturdy, square-shaped and upright stems, Grape Gumball Bee Balm won't droop or sag. The plant develops a nice branching structure and a pert, rounded form.

It blooms a long time in summer, and the lush, dark green foliage fills out all the way to the ground. You'll love it's spicy-sweet fragrance when the leaves are crushed!

For a real treat, cut some of the wonderfully intricate blooms for indoor arrangements. Plant plenty of Grape Gumball in your cutting garden, so you can share with the hummingbirds.

Richly colored, tubular flowers are held in dense, terminal clusters. Because the flower has both an upper and lower lip, it is a very attractive nectar resource.

Hummingbirds, honeybees and butterflies can't get enough of these vibrant magenta blooms!

Robust and so charming, this is a perfect plant for beginners. Hint, hint...this is a perfect gift idea for ecologically savvy friends and loved ones.

Because this plant is perennial, it will come back for you year after year. The showy, mid-summer blooms get better and better each year as part of your long-lasting landscape display.

Renting and don't have a "landscape"? Plant them in containers to decorate your sunny entryway, balcony, deck or patio. They'll perform beautifully in either full sun or partial shade.

Don't miss out on the clear purple tones and the excellent performance of Sugar Buzz Grape Gumball Bee Balm. Order several today!

How to Use Sugar Buzz® Grape Gumball Bee Balm in the Landscape

Love the color purple? Rely on these as a mainstay in your perennial border. Plant a long, meandering "ribbon" of that enticing hue all along the middle of a planting bed.

Go all out, and create massed plantings to really send a message. This lets your neighborhood know that you support our critical beneficial pollinators. (And...it clearly shows off your impeccable taste!)

Space them 12 inches apart, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next. Simply add additional rows to cover a wider area, planted in a zigzagging, staggered pattern.

Mulch between the plants and keep new plantings weeded until they grow together and touch. It won't take long with this valuable plant.

Dress them up with special edging plants like the DAZZLEBERRY® Sedum series, or a low hedge of well-behaved, three-season Ground Hog Aronia. Or, take out the front lawn and create a marvelously jumbled Cottage Garden.

Pair them with other varieties from the Sugar Buzz collection, or complement that rich purple shade with the cheery yellow blooms of Black Eyed Susans.

Nectar-rich Monarda is a mainstay in Butterfly Gardens. Use your sun and soil to create sustainable, ecologically friendly habitat. Grape Gumball makes your efforts look great, too!

This is also a great plant to include near your Victory Garden. Grow them in-ground, or use as dramatic "Fillers" in large, seasonal containers. Attract pollinators to your veggie patch or fruiting trees for a larger harvest.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Give Grape Gumball Bee Balm at least four hours of sunlight. The more sun, the better!

They need well-drained soil, plenty of good air circulation and a moderate amount of water on a regular schedule. Water is especially important during the first year as it gets established in your yard. Make it part of your routine to check your containers daily.

Total newbie? Please see our videos and blog posts on watering. You'll have to find the right balance between too much water and too little water.

The easiest way to tell when you need to water your plant is to use the "Finger Test". Pat down under the surface of the soil, just like the pros do.

Is the soil still moist? Skip watering that day, and check again tomorrow. Is it getting dry? Time to water deeply.

Apply a three-inch layer of mulch around your plant, but make sure to pull it back from the stems. Mulch cuts down on surface evaporation and will improve your soil over time.

In fall, no need to trim them back. Allow the dried foliage to stand for extra winter protection. In early spring, do a light cleanup and trim last year's growth within an inch or two of the ground.

Grape Gumball, like all the Sugar Buzz series, is an excellent choice for modern yards. This selection of a plant that is native to North America will knock your socks off every year.

Order plenty of Sugar Buzz Grape Gumball Bee Balm for your space this season. You'll be thrilled!