Flower profile
Spotted horsemint
Monarda punctata
Spotted horsemint is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin
Quick look
Monarda punctata is a herbaceous plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, that is native to eastern Canada, the eastern United States and northeastern Mexico. Common names include spotted beebalm and horsemint.
- It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a annual, biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 32 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Oklahoma. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–August. iNaturalist
- In Wisconsin, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 6,645 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #99 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,722 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #89 among the 109 flowers on our Wisconsin list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 462 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #82 among the 111 flowers on our South Carolina list. iNaturalist
Spotted horsemint gift ideas
Handmade spotted horsemint gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Spotted horsemint art print
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Spotted horsemint greeting card
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Spotted horsemint mug
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Spotted horsemint earrings
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Spotted horsemint embroidery pattern
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Spotted horsemint sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 4 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Native | April–August | 6,645 |
| Wisconsin | Native | July–September | 1,722 |
| South Carolina | Native | August–October | 462 |
| Oklahoma | Native | few records | 442 |
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
- Texas
- Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
- Wisconsin
- Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. NR 27.03
- South Carolina
- No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Carolina.
- Oklahoma
- No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OH (S1), PA (S1), VT (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?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
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 spotted horsemint in 32 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.
Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Andrews, Angelina, Aransas, Atascosa, Austin, Bailey, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Cass, Chambers, Childress, Clay, Comal, Crane, Crosby, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Dickens, Dimmit, Duval, Erath, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Frio, Gaines, Galveston, Garza, Goliad, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Gregg, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Hemphill, Hidalgo, Hockley, Hopkins, Houston, Hutchinson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kenedy, Kent, Kleberg, La Salle, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Madison, Marion, Martin, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Milam, Mills, Montgomery, Motley, Nacogdoches, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Parker, Polk, Red River, Robertson, Runnels, Rusk, San Augustine, San Patricio, Shelby, Somervell, Stonewall, Tarrant, Taylor, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Val Verde, Walker, Ward, Washington, Webb, Wheeler, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wood.
Wisconsin counties with USDA records: Adams, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lincoln, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Walworth, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Wood.
South Carolina counties with USDA records: Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Beaufort, Calhoun, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Richland.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MOPU.
- iNaturalist, Monarda punctata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Monarda punctata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- Wisconsin: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03).
- Wisconsin: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Monarda punctata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Celeste Ray via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.