Bastard balm

Bastard balm: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Compact clump 30–40 cm tall and wide, with upright, square stems.

Foliage

Oval with a toothed edge, wrinkled and softly hairy; sweetly aromatic.

Flower

Large lipped flowers of 3–4 cm in whorls in the leaf axils, in May and June.

Colour

White with a pink to purple lower lip.

Roots

Thick, deep roots; the plant is slow to start and dislikes being moved.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Strikingly large white and pink lipped flowers in May and June, rare in a shady border.
• A true bee plant: its name refers to the bees that visit the flowers.
• Soft, aromatic foliage with a sweet scent, especially when you crush it.
• Grows in light shade and on chalky soil, where many other flowering plants struggle.
• Very little work: cutting off the old stems once a year is enough.

Bastard balm: where does it grow best?

• Partial or full shade, for instance at the edge of trees or shrubs; it dislikes full midday sun.
• Humus-rich, well-drained loam or clay, neutral to chalky.
• Moderately moist: not too dry, but not where water stands.
• Plant 40 cm apart or as a single specimen; give it room, because it dislikes disturbance.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.4 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Solomon’s seal: Arching stems with white bells, in the same light shade.
• Ferns: Fresh green foliage that strengthens the woodland-edge feel.
• Hardy geranium: Geranium macrorrhizum or another shade-tolerant species closes the ground between the clumps.
• Wood anemone: Flowers earlier; bastard balm takes over afterwards.

Bastard balm: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or in September–October, when the soil is moist and not frozen.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and loosen the bottom; mix in a little compost.
3. Take the plant carefully out of its pot and set it at the same depth, without damaging the roots.
4. Keep 40 cm from its neighbours and firm the soil.
5. Water in at once and lay a layer of leaf mould around the plant, without covering the base of the stems.

Care

Water

In the first year, water regularly in dry weather; after that only in long dry spells.

Feeding

A spade of compost in spring is enough; no strong chemical fertiliser.

Mulching

A thin layer of leaf mould in autumn keeps the soil loose and moist, as in a wood.

Moving

Avoid it: it recovers slowly. Choose a permanent spot straight away.

Tidying

Leave the stems standing until late winter or cut them in March; that way you can see where the new shoots come from.

Tip: Put it in its permanent spot straight away and leave it alone: it grows slowly and moving it costs years. A little leaf mould each year is enough.

Bastard balm: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: It is hardly pruned. Cut off the dead stems in March, just before the new shoots appear.

How:

• Cut last year’s withered stems to just above the ground.
• Remove dead or damaged parts and leave the new shoots alone.
• There is no need to deadhead; leave the seed capsules if you want to collect seed.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow fresh seed outdoors in autumn in a seed tray and let it spend the winter outside. It germinates slowly and unevenly; be patient.

Division

Only on large, old plants, in March or September, losing as few roots as possible. It does not always tolerate this well.

Bastard balm: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, down to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgian winters.
• The stems die back in winter; leave them as protection and cut them off in March.
• Do not plant it where water stands in winter: wet feet are more dangerous than frost.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: Young shoots nibbled in spring. Collect them in the evening, or lay a ring of coarse grit around the plant.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in a dry, stuffy summer. Mulching and watering in dry weather prevent it; bin affected leaves.
• Root rot: Yellow leaves and a limp plant in a wet spot. Improve drainage with coarse sand, or choose another position.
• Slow to establish: In the first years it hardly grows: that is normal. Do not move it; be patient and give compost.

Through the year

• March: Cut back old stems. Add compost. Plant.
• April: Plant. Mulch. Watch for slugs.
• May: Flowering starts. Watch the bees.
• June: Full flower. Water in long dry spells.
• July: Seed set; collect seed for sowing.
• August: Water in dry weather. Watch for mildew.
• September: Plant. Sow fresh seed.
• October: Plant. Leaf mould as mulch.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The Latin name comes from the Greek word for bee: the flowers are heavily visited by bees and bumblebees.
• The genus Melittis contains only one species, bastard balm itself.
• It belongs to the mint family, like mint, sage and lemon balm; its foliage indeed closely resembles that of lemon balm.