Monarda lindheimeri Engelm. & A. Gray ex A. Gray
Lindheimer's beebalm, Lindheimer beebalm
Lamiaceae (Mint Family)
USDA Symbol: moli2
Linnaeus named the genus Monarda in honor of a 16th century Spanish physician and botanist, Nicolas Bautista Monardes (1493-1588). Monardes never went to the Americas but was able to study medicinal plants in Spain because Spain controlled navigation and commerce from the New World.
This species is named after Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer (1801-1879) who is often called the Father of Texas Botany because of his work as the first permanent-resident plant collector in Texas. In 1834 Lindheimer immigrated to the United States as a political refugee. He spent from 1843-1852 collecting specimens in Texas. In 1844 he settled in New Braunfels, Texas, and was granted land on the banks of the Comal River, where he continued his plant collecting and attempted to establish a botanical garden. He shared his findings with many others who shared his interest in botany, including Ferdinand von Roemer and Adolph Scheele. Lindheimer is credited with the discovery of several hundred plant species. In addition his name is used to designate forty-eight species and subspecies of plants. He is buried in New Braunfels. His house, on Comal Street in New Braunfels, is now a museum.
From the Image Gallery
Bloom InformationBloom Color: White
Growing ConditionsLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2) , Acidic (pH<6.8) , Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
BenefitUse Wildlife: Nectar for bees butterflies and a variety of other insects.
Use Food: Aromatic foliage used for tea.
Use Medicinal: Flowers used as diaphoretic. Can be gargled or made into a tea for sore throat.
Use Other: Aromatic foliage used for potpourris.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Foliage: yes
Nectar Source: yes
Value to Beneficial InsectsSpecial Value to Native Bees
Special Value to Bumble Bees
This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
From the National Suppliers DirectoryAccording to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:
Far South Wholesale Nursery - Austin, TX
BibliographyBibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Additional resourcesUSDA: Find Monarda lindheimeri in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Monarda lindheimeri in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Monarda lindheimeri
MetadataRecord Modified: 2016-04-03
Research By: TWC Staff