I’ve had bee balm since 2014. Every year, it sends up 20-30 3.5-foot-tall scarlet flowers. After a few years, I discovered a raspberry variety that bloomed longer and looked better over the summer. I planted raspberry and removed the scarlet (to the extent it’s possible to remove bee balm). After that, I had many pleasant springs filled with bee balm until last year.
During winter months, bee balm shows up as one-inch tall sprouts. There have been plenty of sprouts in the last two years but no flowers. Last year, I assumed the heat had killed them off because I didn’t do the usual watering all summer. However, this past January, there were as many sprouts as ever. Baffled, last month I searched for bee balm and found no lack of plants, but all the tops had been neatly chewed off!!! This blossom is one of the few survivors, perhaps because it is covered in cayenne pepper.
Squirrels and chipmunks are everywhere and have been for years. An opossum occasionally ambles by, and a raccoon was searching on the deck a few nights ago. I have no idea which culprit is dining on my bee balm, but at least they don’t like spicy food.
