EARTHQUEST Biological Field School - Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma) Rare plants of Ontario, Field botany programs and courses, field botany courses, rare trees and shrubs of Ontario field course, Grasses, sedges and rushed field course

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Rare Plants of Ontario
Family: Labiatae/Mint
Provincial rank: S3
Oldham (2017): Rare

EARTHQUEST Regional rank: R4 (Ecoregion 7E), R3 (Ecoregion 6E)

Local rank (watersheds):
Ausable watershed (Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (L1)
Cataraqui watershed (Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (L1)
Catfish Creek watershed (L2)
Credit Valley watershed (Credit Valley Conservation Authority (L1)
Grand river watershed (Grand River Conservation Authority (L3)
Hamilton watershed (Hamilton Conservation Authority) (L1)
Kettle Creek watershed (L1)
Lower Thames Valley watershed (Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority) (L2)
Long Point region watershed (Long Point Region Conservation Authority) (L1)
Maitland watershed (Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (L1)
Saugeen watershed (Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority) (L1)
Raisin watershed (Raisin Conservation Authority) (L1)
South Nation watershed (South Nation Conservation Authority (L1)
St. Clair watershed (St. Clair Region Conservation Authority) (L1)
Upper Thames River watershed (Upper Thames River Conservation Authority) (L2)

Scarlet Beebalm(Monarda didyma)

Flowering period:

Most plants emerge first week of May, flowering from July 15th August 16th (EARTHQUEST 2015, Jolly 2018).

5 Second Rule Identification:

Family traits: A perennial wildflower with a square stem, oppositely arranged eaves with bright red, or scarlet flowers.
Genus traits; Same as family level traits, but with distinctively tubular flowers on solitary flowerhead.
Species traits; Leaves are elliptical in shape and coarsely toothed. May grow up to 120 cm

Biology and Ecology:

A detailed account will be provided at a later date.

Insect Pollinators::

Data is insufficient at this time.

Population Size:

A population size of Scarlet Beebalm in Ontario is unknown at this time. Future EARTHQUEST publications may reveal a closer approximation to the actual number of stems in the province. Twenty two records compiled between 2006 and 2012 exist in the EARTHQUEST master plants of Ontario database. Approximately 32 sites with extant, historical and extirpated populations occur in the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) database. Thirty NHIC Element Occurrences exist between 1888 and 1985.

Habitat & Soils:

This mint prefers moist woods, swampy thickets along riverbanks, streams and creeks, and roadsides. Detailed Ecological Land Classification vegetation characteristics are lacking for Ontario populations. One population in Elgin county was found growing in Fresh – Moist Sugar Maple – Lowland Ash Deciduous Forest Type (FODM6-1) (Jolly 2015).

Threats:

The greatest threat is invasive species, recreational and ATV use, and flooding. One population within a Conservation Authority regulation limit had 81 stems in 2009. Subsequent visits resulted in not finding the plants. It was presumed flooding killed all plants.

Recovery:

Since this is a provincially designated species of conservation concern no environmental legislation protects the species, or it's habitat.

Biometrics:

Individuals ranging in size from 90 - 120 cm in height. Stem is square, distinctive of mint species. Leaves are oppositely arranged: bottom leaf; 4.8 cm wide by 13.4 cm long, middle leaf; 2.4 cm wide by 12 cm long, upper leaf; 1.5 cm wide by 5.4 cm long.

Environmental Protection:

This species receives no provincial or federal protection.

Confusing look-a-likes:

This species closely resembles Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), except the flower color is red, not light purple. Leaves and stem on M. fistulosa may also be pubescent, whereas in M. didyma they are glabrous.

References:

1. Jolly, D.W. 2015. Species at Risk trees, shrubs and wildflowers of Ontario - volume 1 (revised). EARTHQUEST (Canada) for the Environment. Port Burwell. 193 pp.
2. Jolly, D.W. 2018. Unpublished Scarlet Beebalm data extracted from the Plants of Ontario database. Website: www.earthquestcanada.ca [accessed March 5, 2018].
3. Oldham, Michael J. 2017. List of the Vascular Plants of Ontario’s Carolinian Zone (Ecoregion 7E). Carolinian Canada and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Peterborough, ON. 132 pp.

Distribution:

To date, current, historical and extirpated populations have been found in 16 counties and regional municipalities; Brant, Chatham-Kent, Elgin, Essex, Frontenac, Haldimand, Haliburton, Huron, Lambton, Leeds and Grenville, Middlesex, Norfolk, Oxford, Parry Sound, Toronto, York region. The largest population is found primarily in Elgin county within Ecodistrict 7E-2.