Quick Facts:

• Days to harvest: 60
• Hardiness: Frost-tolerant; perennial in Zone 8b
• Light needs: Full sun
• Water needs: Low to moderate (drought-tolerant once established)

Planting:

• Start indoors 8–10 weeks before last frost, or direct sow after last frost.
• Timing: Zone 8b — start indoors Feb–Mar, transplant in May.
• Depth: Surface sow (needs light), press seeds into moist soil
• Spacing: 12–18 in apart; will spread so give it room or contain it

Care:

• Lemon Mint (Monarda citriodora) is not a true mint but a native wildflower related to bee balm. It spreads by seed more than by root, making it less invasive than spearmint or peppermint.
• Drought-tolerant and heat-loving once established — actually prefers to dry out between waterings.
• Deadhead spent flowers to extend bloom, or let them go to seed for next year.
• Very attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Harvest:

• Harvest leaves and young stems before and during flowering for culinary use.
• Flowers are edible with a bright citrus-mint flavor — beautiful in drinks and salads.
• Dry bunches for tea or long-term storage.
• The dried herb holds its lemon-mint scent well.