Flower profile

Scarlet beebalm

Monarda didyma

Native in the lower 48

Scarlet beebalm is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

27states

2of our state lists

6,103U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: North Carolina, West Virginia

Quick look

Monarda didyma, the crimson beebalm, scarlet beebalm, scarlet monarda, Eau-de-Cologne plant, Oswego tea, or bergamot, is a North American aromatic herb in the family Lamiaceae.
From Wikipedia's article Monarda didyma, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 27 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to North Carolina and West Virginia. ^NatureServe
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
In West Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,066 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #85 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 521 research-grade sightings of it in West Virginia, ranking #67 among the 110 flowers on our West Virginia list. ^iNaturalist

Scarlet beebalm gift ideas

Handmade scarlet beebalm gifts from independent makers.

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Scarlet beebalm art print
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Scarlet beebalm embroidery pattern
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Scarlet beebalm sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (995 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
North Carolina	Native	June–August	2,066
West Virginia	Native	June–August	521

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in West Virginia.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MI (SX), NJ (S2), OH (S2), SC (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Used in teas, flavor jellies, soups, stews, and fruit salads; edible flowers.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records scarlet beebalm in 27 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alexander, Ashe, Avery, Beaufort, Buncombe, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Yancey.

West Virginia counties with USDA records: Barbour, Braxton, Grant, Greenbrier, Hancock, Kanawha, McDowell, Mineral, Monongalia, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Tucker, Upshur, Webster, Wyoming.

More North Carolina flowers

Common selfheal

Prunella vulgaris

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: May–October

Ground-ivy

Glechoma hederacea

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in NC: March–May

Red deadnettle

Lamium purpureum

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in NC: February–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MODI.
iNaturalist, Monarda didyma: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Monarda didyma (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Monarda didyma (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Lillian Doughty via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.