Upscale™ Red Velvet Beebalm
Monarda 'Red Velvet'
Height: 3 feet
Spacing: 3 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 3b
Group/Class: Upscale Series
Brand: Proven Winners
Description:
A fully fragrant selection featuring large, cherry red flowers sitting above shiny, dark green foliage; well branched stems support second flush of blooms in the late summer months; a great pollinator attractor, ideal for beds, borders and containers
Ornamental Features
Upscale™ Red Velvet Beebalm has masses of beautiful clusters of fragrant cherry red flowers at the ends of the stems from mid summer to early fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its fragrant pointy leaves emerge coppery-bronze in spring, turning dark green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Upscale™ Red Velvet Beebalm is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;
Upscale™ Red Velvet Beebalm is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Planting & Growing
Upscale™ Red Velvet Beebalm will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 3 feet apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Upscale™ Red Velvet Beebalm is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
