Need Help With Flower ID
 

Last year I was given a freebie packet of seed from the Georgia Dept of Transportation. It was a mix of Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) and Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) and I planted them in two half barrels. They not only grew well but after being cut back they never really went through winter kill.

Now they’re back, bigger and thicker than last year, blooming and a lavender stranger has appeared in their midst! Someone told me it is Monarda (Bee Balm). Since I’m only familiar with the red version I did some searching. The closest I can find is Monarda fistulosa, or Wild Bergamot. The crushed leaves have the medicinal oregano scent but in every photo I’ve found the petals are rather tubular and the petals on mine are flat. Also, the blooms are appearing in tiers on mine and in photos the blooms are atop the stem only.

Any idea what this is?


[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/Oniy9BC.jpg[/IMG]

monarda citriodora, lemon mint.

Nan

Hmmm, mine is a lot more pale in color and it has no citrus scent but smells strongly of oregano with a hint of thyme. Pretty medicinal!

It's definitely a mint family herb. How about Jerusalem Sage, Phlomis tuberosa?

Might be wild basil, but that's fuzzier.

Nan

I just looked up the Jerusalem sage and although it's tiered, the petals and flower size are different and there are very few leaves. This thing I have is loaded with leaves. :bummer:

Horsemint - Monarda punctata. There's more than one type/kind so make sure to look at pictures carefully. Some nurseries are breeding it now too.

We're getting closer. I've looked at a lot of different pics of Monarda punctata and they all seem to have white to pale yellow tubular flowers with well spaced spots. I took this pic this morning and the one tube opening has so many spots I first thought it was a dark pink tube until I looked closer.

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/RcnPryw.jpg[/IMG]

So it's probably a spotted bee balm of some kind. Let's call it "case closed" and thanks for all the help, people!

Looks lovely, whatever the diagnosis! :)

Beautiful photos
 

Love them! Hummingbirds like bee balm, right?

Donna, Texas Gulf Coast

Mine will only go for red & wine colored, with pink a very distant third,but yes they do.


Nan