Summary
Monarda ‘Peter’s Purple’ is a hybrid of M. fistulosa ‘Claire Grace’ and a Mexican species, Monarda bartlettii. ‘Peter’s Purple’ has an excellent floral display with large numbers of purple flowers produced over a four week period. The floral display and other characteristics are quite similar to ‘Claire Grace’; however, ‘Peter’s Purple’ is more prone to powdery mildew and has a floppy, spindly habit. Because of its Monarda bartlettii background, we were unsure if this hybrid would be cold hardy. After surviving two winters, ‘Peter’s Purple’ is clearly hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 6; however, we did lose three of the four initial plants over the first winter. This may have been caused by the initial fall planting time (September), while the replacements were planted in spring. Therefore, it may be beneficial to plant this cultivar in spring or summer so that the plants have enough time to become established before winter.
Details
- Rating
3.7 - Common Name
Peter’s Purple bee balm - Peak Bloom
Early July - Flower Size
2.5” - Peak flower coverage
100% - Weeks in full bloom
4 - Height
54” - Width after three years
24” - Powdery mildew resistance
Fair