Monarda punctata

Horsemint or Spotted Beebalm is an erect, mostly unbranched, perennial wildflower, instantly recognized by its unusual “stacked” arrangement of multiple whorls of two-lipped, cream-colored, purple-speckled tubular flowers on the same stem. Each whorl is subtended by attractive and persistent pink to lavender leaf-like bracts. Leaves are narrow with a fine grayish-white pubescence and oregano- or thyme-like aroma. Plants occur in disturbed or high quality sandy habitats such as sandy prairies, savannas and sand dunes from Vermont to southeastern Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas, but missing from most of the Ohio drainage. In NC, Spotted Beebalm is found in some mountain counties, piedmont counties, and coastal plain counties. It is considered a short-lived perennial or even a biennial by some internet sources, but not all. It is visited by a great many pollinators, including bees and moths, butterflies, wasps and bugs.