Monarda pectinata

Plains bee balm, Plains Bee Balm

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Plains bee balm is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in the eastern desert mountains, specifically the New York Mountains, in washes, rocky slopes, and pinyon-juniper woodland at elevations of 1,150 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to pink flowers with purple-spotted lower lips, 12 to 25 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 15 to 35 centimeters tall that have short, downward-curled hairs, the plant has a distinctive appearance. Its leaves are 1.5 to 4 centimeters long, generally oblong to lanceolate, with edges that are entire to slightly serrate and surfaces that are nearly smooth to finely hairy, especially along the veins. The flower's calyx tube is 6 to 8 millimeters long with long-acuminate lobes 2 to 4 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Washes, rocky slopes, pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: 1150-1500 m

Bioregions: e DMtns (New York Mtns)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.