bee balm

noun

1

: any of several monardas

especially : a perennial monarda (Monarda didyma) of eastern North America having showy flower heads made up of scarlet tubular flowers

2

: lemon balm

Examples of bee balm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Perennials like hostas, coneflowers, and bee balm will slowly spread to fill in a flower bed. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026

Propagate bee balm in spring when the basal shoots are 4 to 6 inches tall, and the plant hasn’t started to bloom. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 17 July 2026

Some of the most important pollinator plants in Connecticut include bee balm, buttonbush, columbine, geranium, goldenrod, highbush blueberry, New England aster, New Jersey tea and swamp milkweed. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026

Other beneficial plants for adult monarchs include zinnias, asters, coneflowers, and bee balm. — Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for bee balm

• aplomb
• balaam
• begam
• cocom
• embalm
• islam
• pogrom
• salaam
• sitcom
• bom
• bomb
• calm