I used to grow it in what I would consider bright shade, with maybe the sun moving across it for an hour or so during midsummer, a little more before the trees leafed out. It was happy--I've personally found monarda to be much pickier about moisture than sun. Mine did best back in the days when I lived in Chicago and my water was unmetered--and thus abundantly lavished.

I had some in full sun that I moved to partial shade, and it really took off! Dirtdiver is right - it seems to care more about moisture than sun - my sunny spot was too dry and it didn't do well there...it's much happier in dappled shade. Be sure to keep it from staying too dry for too long, and it should do very nicely.

Mine is perfectly happy with 2 hours of morning sun a day. It is in the house's shadow the whole rest of the day.

In fact, I need to pull some out because it is at least 4x the size it was last fall. It's pretty though, and I wouldn't have a shade garden without it.

Amazing! I've always thought it was a full sun plant. I love it but it's been a bit too invasive in my main garden. I thought I'd move it to where it could make a nice colony in peace.

Linnea, how did the monarda go last year? I bought some last spring that touted itself as powdery mildew-resistant(can't remember variety - maybe Petite Delight? It was purple) and planted it in a sun-free strip along the north side of my house. Our soil is very wet, to the verge of being soggy, which Monarda is supposed to like - I never water anything in the garden, so the only water on the leaves it gets is rain. Lots of air circulation, a good layer of mulch, but it still got a raging case of powdery mildew, which I can only think came from the full shade. If it even lived (I cut it back pretty aggressively) I'm thinking of moving it to the other side of the north yard this year. Just wondering how yours did? Any other ideas, gardenwebbers?

My Monarda didyma, the plain red Bee Balm is quite happy in med-moist soil in partial sun, in fact it is too happy! It is also 4x the size it was last year.

It looks lovely in a woodland setting with dappled shade, the bright red is just striking. It does die back by late summer and can get a bit mildewy, but by then the neighboring perennials take up some of the slack. As long as I keep it chopped back from invading the neighbors! :)

Today, I just planted a 'Jacob Cline' in a spot for morning sun and afternoon shade. I have two in full sun in the same garden, so I'll have a good test in a month or so. I grow 'blue stockings' in part shade and some in full sun and it does well in all locations.

Cameron

I never did get any moved to that spot! (Best laid plans... are subject to seasonal overloads!) I will try again this year assuming I can get to it while it is still small. I think powdery mildew is just a fact of life with some things. "Resistant" is still not mildew-proof. I know in my case overhead watering makes it worse, for monarda and phlox. I am going to try to lay in soakers for that reason.