06/23/2025
An extraordinary native flower found in the Flint Hills is Monarda citriodora, lemon beebalm or lemon mint. It has the neatest inflorescences, with anywhere from 1 to 6 stacked flower clusters along the flower stalk! Bloom time May to June, with a height of a foot to nearly 3 feet.
Did you know that all plants and living structures are classified with binomial nomenclature in the Latin language? Latin names can be acknowledgments of color, similarity to another plant, where a plant was found, or sometimes a notable person. The genus Monarda is derived from the name of a Spanish physician, Nicholas Monardes, who wrote about New World medicinal plants in the 1500s. The specific epithet, citriodora, is derived from Latin words citrus and odoro, which means ‘to give a fragrant smell’. This forb definitely has a lemony smell!
Additional Source: Wildflowers & Grasses of Kansas: A Field Guide. Haddock, Michael J. (2005)
