(Bee Balm) If you love the look of Bee Balm and wish you could have it bloom longer in your garden, we have a solution! The ‘Leading Lady’ series of Monarda blooms earlier in the summer, so when planted with our ‘Pardon Me’ series it gives you color longer. ‘Leading Lady Amethyst’ is an early blooming Monarda typically blooming the first week in June here in Michigan. ‘Leading Lady Amethyst’ stands 10-14 inches tall when in bloom and produces a mass of Amethyst purple blooms with lightly speckled petals. The ‘Leading Lady’ series is a very well behaved Bee Balm staying where it was planted and producing a larger clump as it matures. Planted in full sun to part shade locations, it prefers to be grown in average to moist soil conditions. The beautiful blooms attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and pollinators to the garden. The scented foliage helps deter the deer. The compact size of ‘Leading Lady Amethyst’ makes this a nice selection for container gardens, planted in mass or as a specimen.