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Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
This member of the Mint family, native to scattered regions of eastern North America,* grows along stream banks and in thickets and open woods. Its distinctive red flowers attract a variety of pollinators, especially hummingbirds, and it offers herbal and medicinal benefits.
*In the Mid-Atlantic, it occurs mostly in the western and far eastern counties of PA. It is infrequent in the VA mountains and rare (maybe introduced) in the VA Piedmont. In NoVA, it is found in Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun Counties.
Learn more about Monarda didyma and watch the bumble bee and hummingbird videos.